Day of the Blind with the Department of Optometry and Orthoptics at FM MU

On Wednesday, 1 November, the fourth annual Day of the Blind took place in the OC Futurum shopping centre in Brno. The event was held under the auspices of the City of Brno and is intended primarily for the general public, who have a unique opportunity to learn about the issues of people with visual impairments. The organisers approached the management of the Department of Optometry and Orthoptics of the Faculty of Medicine of the Medical University of Ljubljana (hereinafter referred to as KOOO) to ask if they would like to take part in this event and offer visitors the opportunity to have their vision measured and professional consultations. As we consider it very important to raise public awareness of the opportunities and access to individuals with visual impairment, we were happy to pledge our active participation.

The foyer of the shopping centre was filled with stalls of organisations dedicated to visually impaired and blind individuals. There was also an accompanying programme with singing and musical performances by pupils and students from the Kamenomlýnská School for the Disabled, Primary School and Secondary School for the Disabled. Our stand offered visitors the opportunity to try out "for themselves" simulation glasses and a special program on a tablet that simulates various visual impairments. Thanks to this, they have an idea of how someone from their family, friends or family members who suffers from a certain eye disease may not/can see.

In addition, representatives from KOOO also performed refractive error screening on passers-by and interested parties using a portable autorefractometer and Vision Spot Trainer. Visitors could also test their own distance and near visual acuity on optotypes, or measure how many diopters they have in their glasses. We also had a folding model of the eye (including an image panel) available to show and explain if you had any questions about other eye conditions. Additional visual function tests were available for those interested to test the presence of spatial and colour vision. For enthusiasts and those interested in studying, we also had leaflets about the study programmes at FM MU.

Surrounding stalls then presented aids and toys for the visually impaired and blind, including a white cane walk or blindfolded basket weaving. The presence of assistance and guide dogs was a big highlight. There were also texts in Braille, a novelty in computers designed for such disadvantaged individuals.

I am glad that among the visitors were also our former graduates as well as current students. They had the opportunity to see not only optical, electronic and non-optical aids that we use at KOOO in teaching this subject. The advantage was to try on some of the compensatory aids and the opportunity to put on a guide dog harness. A comprehensive impression was created by linking the different activities of blind people with a focus on their leisure activities, sports, vocational, rehabilitation activities and coping with the demanding electronic compensatory aids. We also managed to reach out, deepen and renew contacts with professional organizations, which offered cooperation mainly in the field of excursions to their workplaces and in the form of professional lectures for optometry and orthoptics students at LF MU.

It was the first event for us and we will be happy to participate in future editions. The aim of the event is to inform and educate the general public, who will receive information on the correct way to offer and perform assistance to people with visual impairments. In the form of experiences and with the help of individual experts, visitors were able to "touch" things of common need that a healthy and sighted person takes for granted.