India Vision Institute (IVI) has announced the launch of a new program to vision screen 5,000 commercial vehicle drivers in Greater Chennai.

 Announcing the campaign today on World Optometry Day, IVI’s CEO Vinod Daniel said “vision plays a significant role in driving performance and reducing road accidents. To drive safely, a driver needs to be able to clearly see road signs, traffic lights, road markings, and other vehicles on the road. IVI will provide free spectacles to drivers found to have uncorrected refractive errors.”

World Optometry Day is observed on March 23 every year, to celebrate the role of optometrists in facilitating vision care and eye health.

“The new program follows our earlier vision screenings of 90,000 drivers of autos, taxis and trucks. We thank our supporters for helping us with those screenings,” he said.

\"Since we began work 10 years ago, IVI has screened 320,000 children enabling them to look forward to a good education and a brighter future. We have also screened over 250,000 adults to date,\" he added.

“A school program in Coimbatore in association with Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences (KITS) signals the resumption of vision screenings after the lifting of the Covid-19 lockdown. Today’s programs also include vision screening for women inmates at Puzhal prison in addition to five outreach camps for commercial vehicle drivers in Kerala and Karnataka,” said Mr Daniel.

Spectacles for the screening program for commercial vehicles announced today are being provided by the Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF).

About India Vision Institute

IVI is an Indian not-for-profit NGO with the vision to provide access to primary eye care for the underprivileged and a pair of corrective glasses to every Indian in need of one. Our outreach and advocacy activities also include awareness generation, engaging communities, schools, partner institutions and others through talks, education, skill enhancement, and leadership development. Since 2012, IVI has helped change lives in 22 states of India. Through providing better vision and a pair of free corrective glasses, our Eye See and I Learn and Eye See and I Work programs help, respectively, school children do well in studies and adults in being more productive, ensuring their safe and secure livelihood. Vision and Road Safety is another priority for IVI and involves working with corporates/organizations on screenings and provision of free spectacles for commercial vehicle drivers.