As part of a partnership to support the next generation of eye care professionals, Transitions Optical in Canada and the Opticians Association of Canada (OAC) are now accepting submissions for the 2022 Students of Vision Scholarship Program. Currently enrolled (for the 2022-2023 school year) opticianry, optometry and optometric assistant students from across Canada are eligible to apply for the chance to win one of three prizes: a $2,500, $1,500 or $500 scholarship.

To enter the scholarship program, students must develop a project in the form of an essay, video or presentation about how they will advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion in order to help educate patients and protect their vision. A webpage with more information can be found at 2022 STUDENTS OF VISION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (transitions.com).

This year’s scholarship was inspired by new research from Transitions Optical demonstrating the need for further education surrounding eye health for diverse patients. Transitions Optical and the Opticians Association of Canada are committed to driving positive changes within the industry that support the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion for populations who have historically not been treated equally, and who may also be impacted by lack of access to health care and other resources to improve their health and well-being.

“Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) in Canada are quickly becoming the majority – and as a result, more eye care professionals are experiencing a culturally diverse patient base with unique vision care and communication needs,” said Arnaud Rajchenbach, marketing and sales manager, Transitions Optical in Canada. “We are proud to support upcoming and new professionals in the optical industry to provide relevant and useful resources to help their patient bases protect their eyes.”

“We are proud to again partner with Transitions Optical to address an issue that is of tremendous relevancy – around the globe and here in Canada,” said Robert Dalton, Executive Director, OAC. “We look to the future of the industry to help us learn more and better understand how we, as eye care professionals, can lead the way forward.”

All submissions should be sent to StudentsofVision@Transitions.com by November 1, 2022. The winners will be announced on November 15, 2022.

Click HERE for the press release.

The northern lights are one of the most astounding sights that can be viewed on this planet. That is, unless you’re one of the 1.6 million Canadians who have colour vision deficiency. While people with typical colour vision see over one million colours, people who experience colourblindness only see an estimated 10% of hues and shades. So Travel Yukon and EnChroma, a leading producer of glasses for colourblindness and low vision, came together to make the show-stopping northern lights more accessible than ever before for the colourblind, and provided one Canadian with the chance to see this natural phenomenon in full colour for the first time.

Russell Basilio experiences colourblindness. He sees colour in dull hues, especially red and green, which leaves him to interpret the beauty of the world through shapes and textures. In order to demonstrate the power of this new accessibility, Travel Yukon took Russell on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to experience the northern lights in their truest colourful form.

“Growing up colourblind I always knew I saw the world differently. My sister would describe things to me like the northern lights, but I never really understood what that meant,” said Russell Basilio. “To experience the northern lights in colour with my sister by my side was a gift.”

“With dynamic lights and fantastic hues of greens, purples and reds, the northern lights are one of Yukon’s most beautiful natural phenomena,” said Robin Anderson, Global Marketing Manager at Travel Yukon. “We are grateful for the opportunity to have worked with EnChroma to allow Russell to discover what makes the Yukon one of the best places in the world to experience incredible northern lights viewing.”

Special optical filters in EnChroma glasses expand the range of colours someone who is colourblind can see and make colours more vibrant, clear and distinct to help them experience more of life’s colourful moments and overcome challenges while travelling and in daily life. By coming together, EnChroma and Travel Yukon were able to provide Russell with a week of colourful moments that will last a lifetime.

Canadians looking to learn more about Russell’s adventure can watch his journey by visiting https://www.travelyukon.com/en/northern-lights-in-colour.

Source: Tourism Yukon