World Sight Day 2010, with the theme “Countdown to 2020”, was observed by the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association with the focus on educating the public on what has been achieved during the 10-year halfway mark in relation to Vision 2020: The Right to Sight Global Initiative.
The Planning Committee made use of the different broadcast medium to reach the various sectors of the society. A four-week column was started in St. Lucia’s leading Newspaper, The Voice, with articles that re-introduced the Vision 2020: The Right to Sight Initiative.
They also discussed the relevance of this year’s World Sight Day Theme, shared the achievements of the past 10 years of Vision 2020 and provided insights into future plans and goals that still need to be achieved globally and in St. Lucia. The Weekly Columns were also aired in a 15-minute Radio Programme on one of St. Lucia’s Radio Stations, Rizzen Fm. News coverage of the observance was aired both on local Radio and Television Stations. A World Sight Day Jingle was also composed for this year’s celebration, and was played on several Radio Stations.
In St. Lucia, World Sight Day coincided with Standards Day with the theme “Standards make the world accessible to all”. The Saint Lucia Bureau of Standards extended an invitation to Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association to join them in this observance by participating in an exhibition that showcased adaptive technology available to blind and visually impaired persons. The exhibition was held on October 14th .
Mr. Anthony Avril giving the welcome speech
a display at the exhibition
Mrs Emma Bernard Joseph showing the magnifying CCTV
recreational items for blind and low vision persons
SLBWA booth getting TV coverage
using low vision gadgets and braille