World Sight Day is held annually on the second Thursday of October and aims to raise awareness about the issue of eye health globally.
In 2021, World Sight Day is falls on October 14 and is themed “Love Your Eyes.”
This year’s theme is focussed on educating the global population about the importance of being aware of your own eye health and the importance of regular vision check-ups.
World Sight Day is co-ordinated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). You can learn more about the history and aims of World Sight Day on the IAPB website.
Blindness and low vision in Australia
Vision Australia estimates there are 384,000 people in Australia who are blind or have low vision. Of these people, approximately 10 per cent are blind, while approximately 90% live with low vision.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are three times more likely to be blind or vision impaired than other Australians.
Vision Australia predicts there will be 564,000 people who are blind and low vision people in Australia by 2030.
The most common causes of blindness and low vision in Australia are age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma. You can learn more about these and other common eye conditions on the Vision Australia website.
Your eye health
It’s important to actively monitor your eye health and act quickly if you notice any changes. Many eye conditions can be treated if they are detected early.
Even if you don’t notice any changes in your vision, regular eye checks are recommended, particularly as people age, have a family history of vision conditions or are in other high-risk groups.
Learn more about the different types of vision tests and steps you can take to protect your eye health on the Vision Australia website. You can also learn about the different eye health professionals and how they help people.
Living with blindness or low vision
Each year, Vision Australia supports more than 25,000 people across Australia to live the life they choose.
Whether it’s at home, work, school or in the community, our expert staff provide clients across all age groups with skills and tools to help lead active, safe and independent lives.
Just some of our many services include:
- Seeing Eye Dogs
- Orientation and mobility
- Assistive technology
- Occupational therapy
- The Vision Australia Library.
If you’d like to know more about any of Vision Australia’s services, call us on 1300 84 74 66 or email [email protected].
Did you know?
This year, World Sight Day falls the day before White Cane Day, another important day in the blind and low vision community.
White canes are one of the things most commonly associated with people who are blind or have low vision, so check out this beginners’ guide and learn more about the iconic piece of equipment!