All examination fees collected at the Sheridan Centre clinic on World Sight Day next Thursday will go towards aiding sight-impaired people in Sri Lanka, East Africa, East Timor and South Africa.
This is the first year the centre is participating in the annual global charity campaign, said Dr. Deanna Hwang, and she hopes to raise thousands of dollars during the day.
"Here in Canada, we take things like eye glasses for granted. They’re readily available to those who need them. But in many countries, optometrists and the equipment needed to diagnose problems with eye sight are very scarce, and eye glasses are a luxury all too often out of reach," she said in a release.
People who cannot get proper eye cannot get a proper education, and without a basic education, people's job prospects are vastly limited, Hwang pointed out.
More than 300 million people around the world are blind or vision impaired because they don't have access to eye exams or glasses.
Last year alone, World Sight Day raised over $250,000. The money pays for vision care, training and infrastructure support.
Aside from donating examination fees and raising public awareness, Sheridan staff will be asking patients to make a donation.
dkurek@mississauga.net
