World Sight Day: Donate your old spectacles

Media Release, 17 October 2007

The occasion of World Sight Day earlier this month was a timely reminder that so many people suffer on a daily basis because they cannot see clearly.

An estimated 250 million people around the world are blind or vision impaired simply because they do not have a pair of glasses.

Unfortunately, many third world countries lack the resources and funding to provide even the most basic eye care. People of all ages struggle with simple everyday tasks, and find it difficult to gain employment, because they are branded as ‘blind’. In so many cases, however, all it would take is one pair of glasses to turn their life around.

The office of Greens MLC Giz Watson is a collection point for unwanted prescription or non-prescription sunglasses and spectacles, which are recycled and sent to areas in most need by Optometry Aid Overseas, a project supported by the Optometrist Australia Organisation.

“It is a failure of public health organisations that so many people are disadvantaged in both developing and developed countries, when a pair of spectacles is all they need”, said Ms Watson.

“Any unwanted spectacles or sunglasses left at my office will be put to excellent use.”

Donations can be left between 9am and 5pm weekdays at 339 Oxford Street, Leederville.