OAO News Feed

Should You Buy Glasses Online?

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

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Risks of Buying Contact Lenses Online

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

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Symposium Partnership Program

Sun, 1 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

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Let your partnership take flight to new heights. Partners who commit to a significant multi-level partnership in one or a combination of OAO Program Offerings can take their exposure to a higher, more effective level.

Program Offerings – Now More Choices Than Ever Before

The OAO has broadened the opportunities for organizations to partner with the OAO. Just like our optometrists, each of our partners has unique needs and goals. We have six exciting areas of activity that offer various levels of exposure and involvement for industry:

1. Annual Symposium & InfoMart
2. Eye See…Eye Learn
3. OAO’s Thrive & Survive Practice Management Series
4. On-line Education
5. Community Building Events
6. Public & Stakeholder Education

To find out more, download our 2012 Partnership Package here.

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Optometrists Launch JK Eye Health Program

Fri, 9 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

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Local Optometrists Launch Junior Kindergarten Eye Health Program

December 9, 2011- Today’s announcement by Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, Hon. Deb Matthews and Dr. Josephine Pepe representing the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) launched the expansion of the Eye See…Eye Learn (ESEL) program into the greater London area.

“I’m excited to see this valuable program expanding to serve kindergarteners in London,” Deb Matthews, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. “Our government wants to ensure that all children in Ontario have the best start in life. By correcting vision problems at a young age, the Eye See Eye Learn program gives kids the opportunity to succeed in school.”

“Parent’s shouldn’t assume that they will be able to identify whether or not their child has a vision problem,” said Dr. Pepe. “Too often children don’t complain about not seeing well because they don’t know what normal vision is supposed to look like. An eye exam can change a child’s life.”

“Don’t be blindsided like we were and find out that your five year old child is almost blind in one eye,” warns Tim Dunford, a London parent whose son Liam was diagnosed in May as amblyopic “lazy eye.” Today was Liam’s follow up exam to monitor the successful treatment to save his vision.

The Eye See…Eye Learn program was created to identify children, like Liam, with eye health and vision problems before they begin grade one. According to OHIP data less than 10 per cent of Ontario children have an eye exam before entering school, but about 25 per cent of all children have a significant vision problem that could impair their ability to learn. Good vision is vital to academic success, in fact, 80 per cent of all learning during a child’s first 12 years comes directly through vision.

“Children, who cannot see the chalkboard, focus on a picture or follow words in a book will struggle to achieve their full learning potential,” says Dr. Pepe. “Fortunately, Liam has now been identified and is receiving treatment. Early treatment at Liam’s age means the prognosis for restoring vision is very good. “

This January parents registering their children for junior kindergarten will be provided with program information, encouraging them to take their child for an eye exam at a participating optometrist’s office. Parents can pre-book their eye exam that will take place starting July 1st, 2012. Eye exams for children 19 years of age and under are insured by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.

If a child requires eyeglasses, under the Eye See…Eye Learn (ESEL) program, he or she will receive them free of charge from Jungle Eyewear (Bo Optik) and Hoya Vision Care. Participating optometrists will waive their fees when dispensing eyeglasses under this program.

On June 21, 2011 Premier McGuinty announced that the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care would fund the ESEL program to expand the initiative across the province over the next five years.

The expansion of the ESEL program into London and the surrounding area opens the program to more than 7,000 students in nearly 200 schools.

“Every parent should make an eye exam by an optometrist as part of a child’s annual health routine and readiness for school,” urges Tim Dunford. “Don’t assume your child can see well, know for sure.

For more information on the Eye See…Eye Learn program, please visit the Ontario Association of Optometrists’ web site at www.EyeSeeEyeLearn.ca.

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For over 100 years, the OAO has been the voluntary professional organization representing optometrists in Ontario in matters of advocacy, community and education. The OAO represents over 1,500 optometrists who practise in over 200 towns and cities across Ontario and are the main providers of primary eye care in Ontario.

Contact:

Melissa Secord
Director Continuing Education
1-855-424-3735 Ext 243
Cell: (416) 451-6898
msecord@optom.on.ca

Dr. Josephine Pepe
Westmount Optometrists
(519) 472-0210

Additional quotes:

“We’re excited to be part of this valuable initiative to identify vision concerns among students at an early age in order to prevent learning challenges later in life. The Eye See…Eye Learn program is a great complement to the Thames Valley school board’s other early intervention programs and strategies.” Laura Elliott, Executive Superintendent of Program Services, Thames Valley District School Board

“At the London District Catholic School Board we are committed to ensuring that every one of our students has the ability to learn, grow and succeed; and good vision is a key component. We are pleased to be partnering with the Ontario Association of Optometrists to bring this important service to our families to help our students thrive academically.” Sharon Wright-Evans, Superintendent of Education, London District Catholic School Board

«Le Conseil scolaire Viamonde se réjouit de l’élargissement du programme Eye See...Eye Learn aux régions de London, Sarnia et du Niagara. Cette initiative permettra à davantage de jeunes élèves dans nos classes de maternelle d’avoir accès à un examen de la vue et une paire de lunettes, au besoin.

Le programme Eye See...Eye Learn contribue à outiller les élèves pour la réussite en leur permettant d’entreprendre le début du cheminement scolaire du bon pied. » Gyslaine Hunter-Perreault, Directrice de l’éducation, Conseil Scolaire Viamonde

“Oxford County Public Health has a long history of working with families to address health concerns in preschoolers early, before they interfere with learning. This initiative will help children start school in the best possible health, and ensure that there are not financial barriers to accessing vision care for kids.” Lynn Beath, CEO, Oxford County Public Health

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November is Diabetes Awareness Month

Wed, 9 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

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November is Diabetes Awareness Month and the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) is reminding the public about the importance of routine eye exams—especially for those living with diabetes.

Approximately 1.2 million Ontarians have diabetes and as many as 200,000 people are unaware they have it. In fact, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association by 2020 1 in 3 Canadians will have diabetes, putting them at an increased risk for serious health complications such as eye disease and potential blindness. Eye disease can be managed and often prevented by visiting an eye care professional every year.

“Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness among adults,” said Dr. Anju Clement, optometrist and member of the OAO. “Patients with eye disease may not notice any changes in their vision, especially during the early treatable stages of the disease. That’s why visiting an optometrist is essential for early detection and timely treatment.”

Statistics show that only about 50 per cent of people living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes had their eyes checked in the last year, even though annual eye examinations are covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. Those most likely not to have had an eye exam in the past year were people aged 20 to 64 and those living in urban areas.

Under the Ontario Diabetes Strategy, the OAO is partnering with the Ministry of Health and the Diabetes Regional Control Centres to ensure that people with diabetes have necessary tests for optimal diabetes management, including a comprehensive eye exam.

While people with diabetes are more likely to develop eye problems such as cataracts and glaucoma, they are also more susceptible to retinal complications that can threaten vision.

By dilating the eye, optometrists can detect diabetic retinopathy, a damaging eye condition that causes the blood vessels at the back of the eye to leak or swell. If left untreated, it can result in loss of vision or blindness. Comprehensive eye examinations provided by optometrists are insured by the Ontario government every year for people of all ages with diabetes, and a referral is not required

Patients with diabetes who are able to maintain appropriate blood sugar levels have fewer eye problems than those with poor control. Research has proven that good control can slow the onset of eye complications, such as diabetic retinopathy. Diet and exercise also play important roles in the overall health of those with diabetes. But the best way to catch early eye problems is to visit an optometrist or ophthalmologist every year.

Dr. Clement adds that other health issues may be discovered during an eye exam. “A dilated eye exam is the only time blood vessels can be seen in their natural state. Sometimes, this allows us to uncover signs that may save someone’s life.”

To learn more about comprehensive eye examinations or to find an optometrist, please visit the OAO website at www.optom.on.ca or call 1-800-540-3837.

For over 100 years, the OAO has been the voluntary professional organization representing optometrists in Ontario in matters of advocacy, community and education. The OAO represents over 1,500 optometrists who practise in over 200 towns and cities across Ontario and are the main providers of primary eye care in Ontario.

For more information, please contact:
Christine Morrison
Government Relations Manager
Ontario Association of Optometrists
cmorrison@optom.on.ca
905-826-3522 Ext. 223

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Optometrists Help Young Learners

Tue, 4 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

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Optometrists Looking to Help Young Learners
Eye See…Eye Learn Returns Dufferin-Peel, Halton, Hamilton, and Windsor

October 4, 2011 – Mississauga, ON. October is Eye Health Month and local optometrists are hoping to examine as many pairs of Junior Kindergarten eyes as possible over the current school year to make sure they are ready to learn. Junior Kindergarten students enrolled in publicly funded schools in Dufferin Peel, Hamilton-Wentworth, Halton and Windsor Essex are eligible to receive a comprehensive eye exam with their health card, and if required, a free pair of eyeglasses courtesy of the Eye See…Eye Learn program.

The Eye See…Eye Learn program recently received funding from the Government of Ontario to bring the program back to these four regions and to expand across the province over the next five years. The program exists because a large percentage of children begin school without ever having an eye exam. Last year, for 70% of the children participating in the program, it was their first eye exam and over 450 children received free glasses.

“Children often don’t complain to a parent or teacher if they can’t see well,” says Dr Sheldon Salaba, a Hamilton area optometrist. “Children at a young age don’t know what normal vision is supposed to look so they just try to cope. They have no form of comparison. Unfortunately this leaves parents unaware that their child is struggling to see.”

Only a comprehensive eye exam will thoroughly check all aspects of a child’s vision and eye health including how well they can see near or far, if there are any health abnormalities, and whether the eyes are working well together for proper depth perception.

“We know that 80 per cent of learning is visual. If a child can’t see well they will not learn at the same rate as their peers and fall behind,” says Dr Salaba. “We have the opportunity to positively change the lives of hundreds of students in these schools through this free program and give parents the peace of mind of knowing how well their child can see.”

There is no cost to participate. Simply visit www.EyeSeeEyeLearn.ca or call toll free 1-855-424-ESEL (3735) to find a participating school board and optometrist. Present your child’s valid health card at the time of the exam. The glasses are generously donated by Jungle Eyewear and Hoya Vision Care and local participating optometrists. The program is operated by the Ontario Association of Optometrists and is funded in part by the Government of Ontario.

Optometrists are professionally educated and clinically trained to provide community-based primary eye health and vision care services. Optometrists provide comprehensive eye care for patients of all ages to optimize vision and prevent vision loss.

Contact: Melissa Secord
Ontario Association of Optometrists
msecord@optom.on.ca
Toll free: 855-424-3735 x243

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EyeQ Test Challenge

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

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Ontario Optometrists Challenge Parents to Test Eye-Q
Too many children’s eyes go unchecked before school starts

Mississauga, ON - August 18, 2011 – With just a few short weeks until children head back to school, Ontario’s optometrists want to challenge parents’ knowledge about the facts of children’s vision.

“There are many myths about kids and their vision. These age old myths often prevent parents from taking preventative steps to have their child’s eyes examined,” says Dr Shirley Ha, Oakville area optometrist and a past president of the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO).

Troubling statistics show that despite the fact that one in six children has an eye or vision problem significant enough to impair their ability to learn, only a relatively low percentage of children under five years of age have a comprehensive eye examination by an optometrist. Children who cannot see well will struggle to learn and to participate fully in school. Experts agree that 80% of a child’s learning is done through their visual system.

To dispel these myths, the OAO has developed ten quick true and false questions for parents to test their knowledge. The Eye-Q test can be found on their website www.EyeSeeEyeLearn.ca.

“For example, one myth is that children should have their eyes examined only if they complain to a parent and this is false. Children at a young age don’t know what their vision is supposed to look like. They have no way to compare so they just try to cope,” says Dr. Ha. “Many parents are shocked to learn that their son or daughter has been struggling to see after an exam.”

The Ontario Association of Optometrists, with funding assistance from the Ontario Government, is also increasing the awareness about the importance of early identification of vision problems through the Eye See…Eye Learn program. The program encourages parents of Junior Kindergarten children to book eye exams with participating local optometrists. If the child needs glasses, they will be provided free of charge through the assistance from industry partners. The program will be expanding across the province over the next five years. The program is currently running with Halton, Hamilton-Wentworth, Dufferin-Peel and Windsor-Essex school boards.

Eye exams are covered under the Provincial Health Insurance or your child’s health card annually until they are 19 years of age.

Early detection is critical for conditions such as lazy eye (amblyopia) and turned eye (strabismus), which can often be treated successfully if they are diagnosed early enough by an optometrist, ophthalmologist or family physician.

To take the Eye-Q Test or to learn more about children’s vision, please visit the Ontario Association of Optometrists’ website at www.EyeSeeEyeLearn.ca or call toll free (855) 424-ESEL (3735)

Optometrists are providers of primary eye care in the province of Ontario who are university educated and clinically trained to diagnose and treat disorders of the eye and visual system. Founded in 1909, OAO is the voluntary professional organization that represents more than 1,400 optometrists in Ontario.

Download this Release in PDF format here

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Eye See Eye Learn Expands

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

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Beginning this fall an Ontario Optometrist Association pilot project promoting early detection of vision problems will be expanded to include over 40,000 Ontario junior kindergarten students.

Under a new partnership between the Ontario government, the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) and optical industry partners Jungle Eyewear (Bo Optik), Hoya Vision Care and Johnson and Johnson Vision Care makers, of ACUVUE® brand contact lenses, the Eye See…Eye Learn program will be expanded and offered to junior kindergarten students in 14 school boards during the 2011/12 school year.

“Don’t be surprised like I was and find out that your six year old daughter, who just completed senior kindergarten, is legally blind in one eye,” warns Jennifer Hartman, an Oakville parent. “I feel so terrible that I didn’t know that she couldn’t see well. There were no signs that I could see that she had a problem.”

The Eye See…Eye Learn program was created to address the troubling Ontario statistic that shows less than 20% of children have an eye exam before entering school, despite the fact that annual eye examinations are covered by OHIP for children 19 years of age and under.

This September parents with children entering junior kindergarten will be provided with program information, encouraging them to take their child for an eye exam at a participating optometrist’s office. These eye exams are insured by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. This will identify children with vision problems that may affect their ability to learn.

Find out more, read the full Press Release here!

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Sunglasses a Must for Children

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

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For the second year in a row, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind ran a major public awareness campaign promoting sunglass usage called Shades of the Sun.

John Flattery, president and CEO of the CNIB, agrees more children need to be wearing sunglasses. “They are critical for UV protection of the retina, at the back of your eyes,” he says.

To promote sunglass use, the CNIB visited hundreds of schools and students in Grades 5 to 8 were given pairs to wear in the classroom in an interactive exercise that showed how wearing glasses could be fun as well as protect eyes.

“We want it to be enjoyable, not frightening,” says Flattery, adding, he want people to start thinking automatically about wearing sunglasses the way they now think about wearing sun block on their skin.

“The damage to the retina by the sun is as bad as the damage to your skin.”

Read more here

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New Regulations Improve Eye Care

Wed, 6 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

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New Regulations Give Ontarians Better Access to Eye Care

The Ontario Government approved a regulation today that allows Ontario’s optometrists to start prescribing medications for their patients. Optometrists will now be able to prescribe treatments for conditions ranging from routine bacterial eye infections to more serious diseases including glaucoma.

The change will alleviate wait times in emergency rooms and walk-in clinics for patients with eye-related problems.

“This is great news for our patients and everyone in Ontario,” notes Dr. John Mastronardi of Windsor, President of the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO). “Most of our members have been educated and trained to prescribe medications for years. We are pleased that the Ontario government has made changes that will broaden access to medically necessary services across the province.”

While Ontario is one of the last provinces to en-act this regulation, the new regulation has the widest scope in Canada and brings about the most benefits to patients.

For patient Jason Secord of Acton, he applauds the decision. “A few years ago, I almost lost the vision in my right eye because of a condition called iritis. I went to my optometrist and he knew what was wrong but he couldn’t prescribe the drops that I needed. Now if I ever have a problem again, I can go to my optometrist right away without putting my eye health at risk by waiting to see three different doctors for treatment.”

Today’s decision by the Ontario government means better healthcare and shorter wait times for patients while reducing costs for taxpayers.

The Executive Director of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Ontario, Paul Ting, also applauded the news. “This will make great strides in the treatment of all eye care,” says Ting. “Seventy five percent of vision loss is preventable or treatable. Preventing blindness is an urgent challenge with an aging population, and this will drastically improve access to clinical care.”

Optometrists are eye doctors who are university educated and clinically trained to diagnose and treat disorders of the eye and visual system. Optometrists complete a four year professional doctorate degree program and are regulated by the College of Optometrists of Ontario.

For more information on the eye conditions that optometrists can now treat and prescribe, please visit the Ontario Association of Optometrists website at: www.eyecareoao.com.

Download the full Press Release Here

For more information: Jim Warren
416-505-4773
jimwarren@riseley.ca

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Watch the new Eye See... Eye Learn PSA

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

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How Well Can Your Child See? Check out OAO's new public service announcement on children's vision. Share with your friends and colleagues.

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