India Vision Institute today distributed spectacles for auto drivers in Chennai as part of a campaign during Road Safety Week to vision screen commercial vehicle drivers. This would include taxi, auto, bus and lorry drivers.
This is part of IVI’s longer-term campaign to make roads safer through clear vision.
IVI’s CEO Vinod Daniel said “Uncorrected refractive error among commercial vehicle drivers including truckers is a major problem. IVI has in the last couple of years vision screened some 110,000 commercial vehicle drivers and provided spectacles to those with uncorrected refractive errors. We plan to screen another 25,000 drivers in Chennai.”
Today, at Chennai’s Chintadripet Ritchie Street neighbourhood, an auto service hub, Ms Jodi McKay, National Chair, Australia-India Business Council (AIBC), distributed spectacles to drivers from those vision screened so far. Some 60 drivers will benefit from today’s screening. All drivers screened and found to have uncorrected refractive errors are being provided corrective glasses.
Those present at the distribution included Irfan Malik, National Associate Chair, AIBC, and IVI’s CEO Vinod Daniel.
Ms. McKay said “As a former Member of Parliament of NSW and involved in road safety issues, I am delighted to see the good work being undertaken to address the vision of drivers. IVI’s work would help make roads safer.”
“Of the commercial vehicle drivers and allied staff screened so far, IVI has found 59% to have vision problems and 24% with difficulty seeing distant objects. Over 2% had severe issues that would make it unsafe for them to drive,” Mr Daniel added.
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. Since 2012, IVI has helped change lives in 22 states of India, touching over 750,000 lives. 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 it involves working with corporates/organizations on screenings and provision of free spectacles for commercial vehicle drivers. Beneficiaries have included women, children, transgender communities, workers, fisherfolk and weavers. Our outreach and advocacy activities include awareness generation, engaging communities, schools, partner institutions and others through talks, education, skill enhancement, and leadership development.
