Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes

About 2000 eye tests and 1300 pairs of glasses supplied to an average of 1000 participants in the five previous editions. Special Olympics Lions Club International Opening Eyes (SOLCIOE), the first optometric vision program designed to improve the quality of life for people with learning difficulties, will be at the European Youth Games 2006 backed up by a large group of optometrists from all over Italy.

Part of the Healthy Athletes Program in an area totally dedicated to physical wellbeing and prevention, the sixth edition of the Opening Eyes initiative in Italy is sponsored by Federottica and the Register of Optometrists and its implementation is due to the contribution of volunteer opticians, optometrists, ophthalmologists and optometry students and the support of Lions Club International.

Between 100 and 150 specialist volunteers will be taking part in the program and they will be offering 18 top-quality, personalized, non-invasive eye tests, including vision acuity, stereoscopy, color perception, retinoscopy, ophthalmoscopy and refraction, as well as giving all the athletes, their families and sports technicians information and advice on prevention. At the end of the visits, vision and sport protection glasses and sunglasses frames will be prepared and given free to the athletes along with numerous gadgets.

International sponsors:
Essilor and Safilo are the only international sponsors which supply ophthalmic lenses and frames for all Special Olympics events, worldwide. Their important and invaluable commitment allows even the poorest countries to give their athletes the same high quality supply. But their commitment does not end with donating materials, they also provide strong organizational support and they are always personally present to work alongside the volunteers.

Local sponsors:
Centro Style, Frastema Ophtalmics, Jonhson & Jonhson Vision Care, OxO Italia, Opto Gest, Real Time.