For work in vision health, spectacles to the needy
India Vision Institute (IVI), an Indian NGO working to provide access to the underprivileged vision screening and a pair of free spectacles to those in need, has won the Vision2020 Dr Jordan Kassalow Vision Spring Award.
On behalf of IVI, CEO Vinod Daniel received the award at the 16th Annual Vision 2020: The Right to Sight- India national conference at Siliguri, West Bengal.
IVI won the Award, instituted by Vision 2020 India, for work in providing access to vision health and corrective eyeglasses for underprivileged communities.
The Award is named after Vision Spring’s founder, Dr Jordan Kassalow, who is also co-founder of EYElliance, a multi-stakeholder coalition to help increase access to eyeglasses.
Mr Daniel said, “The Vision2020 Dr Jordan Kassalow Vision Spring Award is an honour and recognition to IVI. The award will inspire us to contribute even more in our efforts and mission to facilitate access to vision screenings and spectacles to every Indian in need of a pair. Our work in the past 10 years has provided access to over 600,000 underprivileged lives, including school children, women and transgender communities among others, in some 20 states across India.”
“I thank Vision 2020 India for this recognition and to our partners for their support to our vision screening programs that are helping thousands of underprivileged people in far-flung and remote communities to see better and be more productive in life and work, through corrective glasses,” he noted.
VISION 2020: The Right to Sight – INDIA is a registered not-for-profit forum and is a key driver of the global initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) for reducing avoidable visual impairment by year 2020.
It is a collaborative effort of INGOs, NGOs, eye care organisations in India and the Government to coordinate and advocate for improved eye care programs; to gain and share knowledge and together develop solutions to achieve quality, comprehensive and equitable eye care. Vision 2020 is governed by a Board of 17 members.
India Vision Institute(IVI) is an Indian not-for-profit registered NGO with a focus on providing the underprivileged access to vision screenings and a pair of glasses to those in need of one. IVI’s mission is to augment India’s Primary Eye Care Capacity through vision screening, outreach and advocacy, awareness generation, capacity building, and leadership development. Its vision screening programs have helped make a difference to over 600,000 lives across some 20 states of India. Beneficiaries have included women, the transgender and weaving communities, school-going children, stone cutters/sculptors, fishermen, among others. Free spectacles have been distributed to over 150,000 people in need of a pair. As part of its focus on vision and road safety, IVI also works in vision screening commercial vehicle drivers, including truckers, and in upskilling optometrists.
