Did you know that an eye muscle is the fastest muscle in the human body, that for people born with sight nearly 80% of the information processed by the brain comes from the eyes, and that in about 75% of cases, blindness is preventable? World Sight Day, falling this year on October 12th, is an opportunity to raise and spread awareness about proper eye care and promote optimal vision health. 

Origins of World Sight Day

World Sight Day was initiated by the Lions Clubs International (LCI), a service organization founded in 1917 by Melvin Jones, a successful insurance salesman in Chicago who wanted to help other businessmen improve their communities. Through the years, LCI has initiated and supported a wide range of good works across the globe, including:

• Fundraisers for typhoon and cyclone victims, 
• Projects promoting early diagnosis for people with hearing disorders, and 
• Cancer screening campaigns.

In 1990, LCI started its ‘Sight First Campaign’, an effort to help people with visual impairment and spread knowledge about trachoma and other forms of preventable blindness. World Sight Day is an outgrowth of that initiative.

The goals of World Sight Day

In 2000, LCI proclaimed that World Sight Day would be observed every year on the second Thursday of October. The Club’s main goal was to highlight the importance of regular eye care and eye safety, and making both accessible to more people. 

This year, in 2023, the theme of World Sight Day is “Love Your Eyes at Work”. What does this mean? Regardless of what kind of work you do or where you do it, protecting your eyes is essential. It could mean, among other things, protecting them from:

• Flying debris, 
• Dangerous chemicals, or 
• Strain from long-term electronic screen use. 

It’s about making sure that both employers and employees understand the importance of protecting vision and avoiding injury in their work environments. 

How can I observe World Sight Day?

If you want to be part of the campaign to fight preventable blindness, this World Sight Day you can:

• Read and share the resources created by The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).
• Post messages on social media encouraging your friends and family to get comprehensive eye exams and advocate for eye safety at work; use the hashtag #LoveYourEyes.​
• Register to donate your eyes after death, to aid in eye disease prevention and treatment research.
• Seek out free eye checkups at your local hospital, eye clinic, or senior center.

It’s easy to get distracted by the busyness of daily life, but eye health isn’t something that can be neglected without risk. Regular eye exams can not only help maintain and preserve your vision, but it can also help identify other potential health issues. Schedule your next eye exam today.

*National Today. (2023). World Sight Day – October 12, 2023. https://nationaltoday.com/world-sight-day/