World Orthoptics Day June 3, 2019
As optometrists, we know that once an eye examination has been done ensuring that a patient has the proper glasses prescription and their ocular health is good, patients may still experience problems with their vision. Orthoptics is a discipline of eyecare that specializes in disorders of the visual system that cause symptoms such as trouble reading, double vision, eye strain, blurry vision and poor focusing ability. These symptoms can stem from problems with our focusing and eye movements such as accommodation and convergence insufficiency, amblyopia, double vision and strabismus. Having these problems can make it difficult to have clear comfortable reading vision, creating hurdles to education and employment. Sometimes these problems can be resolved through visual training. VOSH/International supports the practice of orthoptics and the inclusion of orthoptics in optometry schools worldwide. Optometrists and orthoptists work side by side for the benefit of our patients complementing our skills and areas of expertise. During our clinics many of us have identified patients who would benefit from orthoptists skills and understand the need to increase the numbers of optometrists and orthoptists within the eye healthcare workforce.
The aim of the International Orthoptic Association’s World Orthoptics day is to promote the science of orthoptics worldwide, to provide information and support to national bodies and individual orthoptists, and to help maintain and improve standards of education, training and orthoptic practice. You can read more about it here:
https://www.internationalorthoptics.org/events/word-orthoptic-day/
If you happen to be near the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, the British and Irish Orthoptic Society will be celebrating World Orthoptics Day by attempting to break the current Guinness world record for the “Largest Human Image of an Eye.” Join the fun!
https://www.orthoptics.org.uk/orthoptics-guinness-world-record-attempt/
Tracy Matchinski, OD, FAAO, FVI
President, VOSH/International
