World Sight Day 2015
Today is World Sight Day. World Sight Day is an annual awareness day to focus attention on blindness and visual impairment - and to showcase why eye health needs everyone's attention.
This year's call to action is 'Eye care for all'. It focuses on drawing attention to everybody who needs eye care, regardless of gender, geographical location or financial status. 'Eye health' also includes rehabilitation and assistive services for those with irreversible vision loss.
In 2013 it was estimated that 285 people worldwide were blind or visually impaired, yet 80% of these cases could be treated or prevented.
A few signs that you should get your eyes tested include wearing glasses but still suffering from cloudy vision, seeing double, seeing large black spots, seeing halos around white light, your eyes turning red, and pain after wearing contact lenses. Everyone should have regular sight checks, particularly those over 40.
Here at Listening Books we help those with sight loss or visual impairment by providing access to knowledge and stories through audiobooks. Whilst we can't directly aid those outside the UK, we hope that by sharing information on World Sight Day, we can help spread the word about the importance of looking after everyone's sight and supporting those who have a sight problem or are no longer able to see.
You can find out more about World Sight Day here. You can also promote the day using on social media using #eyecareforall.
If you know anyone who you think might benefit from Listening Books' audiobook library service, you can find out more on our website, or call our library team on 0207 407 9417.
Written by Holly Newson.
Picture credit: Ken Teegardin, Laitr Keiows
