The Optical Foundation

19/03/2025

This is a call for nominations for candidates for The Optical Foundation Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Optometry 2025 Award.
This annual award will be presented to an individual less than 6 years post-graduation who has made a significant contribution to the practice and development of optometry and/or the visual enhancement of the public.
Nominations for candidates need to be submitted to The Optical Foundation Advisory Committee no later than July 1st, 2025 12:00 GMT.

Refer to the website for more information and requirements for nominations. https://www.theopticalfoundation.com/early-career-award

08/03/2025

Celebrating the Power of Vision and Women Leading Change!

This International Women’s Day 2025, The Optical Foundation is proud to honour the incredible women who are reshaping the future of eye care around the globe. Women like Dr. Philipa Asantewaa Larbi, recipient of the 2023 TOF Early Career Award, who are breaking barriers, inspiring generations, and delivering transformative eye health services to communities in need.

Through accelerate action we believe that empowering women is key to creating sustainable change. When women thrive, entire communities benefit—education flourishes, healthcare improves, and vision care reaches those who need it most. From Africa to Asia and beyond, women are leading the charge in eradicating preventable blindness and improving lives through sight.

At TOF, we are committed to fostering a world where more women step into leadership roles, innovate in eye health, and mentor the next generation of change makers. Together, with our remarkable partners, we are lighting the path to a future where every woman has the vision, the power, and the opportunity to succeed.

This International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate the strength, resilience, and brilliance of women who see beyond limits and work every day to ensure that sight is a right, not a privilege.

28/10/2024

Please join us in congratulating Samson Darrah on winning the 2024 The Optical Foundation Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Optometry!

Samson distinguished himself through his remarkable achievements and dedication to advancing eye health, research, and mentorship. His work stands as an inspiring testament to impactful community service and academic excellence.

While studying at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Samson’s research on "Conjunctival Flora and Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Individuals" became a valuable contribution to understanding eye health among diabetic patients in Ghana and influencing care strategies.

Beyond research, Samson founded iCare Network Ghana, providing free eye care services to underserved communities and directly improving vision health for over 2,000 individuals. His leadership extends to empowering more than 150 volunteers, including optometry students, to serve their communities.

In his role as Vice President for the Student Volunteers for Optometric Service to Humanity at KNUST, and as Social Media Manager for the Ghana Optometric Association, Samson has advocated tirelessly for eye health, utilizing his graphic design and media skills to reach even more individuals.

His mentorship efforts are equally inspiring, supporting peers and students in securing fully funded scholarships and guiding the next generation of optometrists through a platform he developed to connect students with global opportunities. Notably, his guidance has helped secure fully funded PhD and undergraduate scholarships, exemplifying his commitment to fostering future leaders.

Samson’s dedication to advancing optometry led to his involvement in establishing the HM KNUST Low Vision Center, providing training to students, enhancing curriculum content, and supervising research projects. Recognised with awards such as the Outstanding Male Volunteer Award from KNUST and the Sigma Xi Travel Fellowship, Samson’s achievements underscore his enduring impact on the field.

Please join us in celebrating this inspiring young leader who embodies The Optical Foundation’s mission of advancing vision health and optometry education worldwide! 🌍👓

17/10/2024

Exciting News for Optometry Students worldwide!

We’re thrilled to have launched The Optical Foundation Community on Momo Board – a space created just for optometry students and early career optometrists! Whether you're navigating your future options, preparing for exams, looking for someone to collaborate with (regardless of where in the world they are located) looking to connect with future colleagues, this is the perfect place to:

- Exchange knowledge
- Share resources
- Get tips from peers & professionals
- Build lifelong connections

Join us and become part of a growing global network that’s shaping the future of optometry! Let's learn, grow, and succeed together.

Join today and start your journey with The Optical Foundation Community on Momo Board. https://theopticalfoundation.com/community/

11/10/2024

We're proud to showcase our newest initiative: a dynamic hub for optometry and vision science professionals to network, exchange insights, and discover new opportunities. Whether you're looking for Q&A sessions, career advice, or academic resources, this is your go to platform!

In acknowledging all the hard work that has gone into shaping this platform we want to recognise Owoahene (Owi) Owusu Mensah for his contributions to The Optical Foundation Community on Momo Board, Owi, a passionate optometrist who has shown unwavering dedication to enhancing eye care in Ghana even before joining the board in 2023.

In acknowledging all the hard work that has gone into shaping this platform we want to recognise Owoahene (Owi) Owusu Mensah for his contributions to The Optical Foundation Community on Momo Board. Owi is a passionate optometrist who has shown unwavering dedication to enhancing eye care in Ghana even before joining the board in 2023. As a practitioner of optometry in Netherlands, Owi has lots of insights on practicing in the field of optometry in Europe. In addition to practicing optometry he is currently also working as a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht to inspire the new generation of Optometrists!

Join now to be part of this collaborative community initiative https://theopticalfoundation.com/community/ Stay tuned for videos showcasing the multitude of resources this platform offers to share with your industry peers!

10/10/2024

Today, October 10th, we join the global community to highlight the joy of clear vision, especially for
our children. This year’s theme, “Children, Love Your Eyes”, is all about ensuring our little ones see
the world in all its beauty and vibrant colours.

An uncorrected vision impairment can significantly impact a child’s education and having access to
eye exams and spectacles can boost a child’s education and confidence.
At The Optical Foundation, we believe every child deserves the magic of clear sight and a bright future and we don’t want anything to stand in the way of making learning accessible for all!

Join us in making a difference! We invite parents, caregivers, schools and anyone to pledge an eye
test for a young person.

Take the pledge today and together, we can change lives and open up a world of
possibilities for the millions of children globally who need eye care.
In helping create a brighter,
clearer future for these children we are automatically paving the way for future generations.

08/10/2024

We’re thrilled to introduce The Optical Foundation Community on Momo Board, a collaborative space for optometry and vision science professionals to connect, share and obtain relevant information. From Q&A to career guidance, this platform has it all!

Before you rush off to sign up, we want to take this opportunity to acknowledge Nutifafa Esther Anuwa-Amarh, for her efforts as co-project leader for this initiative. Nutifafa is a Ghanaian-trained optometrist and a vision science PhD candidate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is passionate about making eye care accessible in Ghana whilst driving the local development of education and research in the field of Optometry. Nutifafa is a past TOF Frans Oosterhof travel grant awardee and was featured this year by the US embassy in Ghana page on International Day of Women and girls in science. She is a dedicated supporter of TOF and continues to inspire us all.

Stay tuned for videos showcasing the exciting features of our new platform! Join and invite your industry colleagues to join and contribute. https://theopticalfoundation.com/community/

04/10/2024

We are excited to unveil our newest initiative: The Optical Foundation Community on Momo Board! This collaborative space is all about information sharing for and by individuals in optometry and vision science.

We have to give a very special shout out to Young Kim, who played a pivotal role in starting this project. Young joined TOF in April 2022 and has been tirelessly working to bring this community platform to life. With a PhD in Vision Science from UC Berkeley and a passion sparked during his undergraduate studies, Young is dedicated to advancing vision care and creating opportunities for future optometrists and vision scientists.

Join and be part of this vibrant, supportive community! https://theopticalfoundation.com/community/ Stay tuned for videos showcasing the cool things we can do together.

02/10/2024

Exciting News! The Optical Foundation is excited to present its newest initiative: The Optical Foundation Community on Momo Board! This collaborative space is designed for individuals in the field of optometry and vision science to share and find information, furthering our community's endeavours.

In our Momo Board community, you can:
• Ask or answer questions
• Offer or request feedback on resumes
• Find or share information about career and study options in optometry
• Network with optometrists and vision scientists across the world

Tailored specifically for the optometry and vision science community, this is safe, reliable, and trustworthy environment where you can share optometry related information, videos, and experiences. Think of this platform as a mix of MS Teams, Slack, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

We'll be posting some videos on social media soon to show you some of the cool things we can do together. The more we collectively put into it, the more we will all get from it.

Follow the link if you want to find out more or join us on Momo Board and be part of a vibrant, supportive community! https://theopticalfoundation.com/community/

Our Community   Together we can create new opportunities for all of us Make a Donation Join Our Community Sign up to join The Optical Foundation Community on MOMO Board! First and Last Name Email Address New Field New Field I am an Optometrist, Vision Scientist, or Optometry/Vision Science student ...

26/09/2024

Dr. Luigi Bilotto is a globally recognized leader in optometry, education and public eye health, celebrated for his impactful work in addressing uncorrected refractive errors - the leading cause of blindness worldwide. As the former Director of Education at the Brien Holden Vision Institute, Dr. Bilotto spearheaded the establishment of 15 optometry programs across 12 countries, significantly boosting the availability of qualified eye care professionals in underserved regions. His dedication to human resource development in optometry has resulted in the training of thousands of eye care professionals, a number that continues to grow as his initiatives expand globally.

Currently, as an International Eye Health Advisor for L’École d'optométrie - Université de Montréal , Dr. Bilotto continues his endeavor to enhance eye health globally via optometry development particularly in emergent francophone countries. Complementing this work, Dr. Bilotto contributes his expertise serving as a key opinion leader in international strategic groups like the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), AtScale (UNOPS) and the World Health Organization (WHO). He also keeps academically and clinically active by mentoring the next generation of optometrists at l’Université de Montréal and practicing in private clinics, serving remote regions in Quebec.

The Optical Foundation is honoured that Dr. Bilotto has made himself available as mentor in support of the 2023 TOF Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Optometry and Dr. Philipa Asantewaa Larbi, recipient of the 2023 award is undeniably very privileged to have Dr. Bilotto as her mentor. His vast experience, strategic insight, and commitment to capacity building are invaluable assets as he guides emerging leaders like Dr. Larbi in their careers. Dr. Bilotto's mentorship promises to further elevate the standards of optometric education and practice, ensuring a brighter future for global eye health.

26/08/2024

Being a recipient of the TOF Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Optometry and gaining access to the prestigious mentorship program it offers, comes with more benefits in addition to the incredible wealth of knowledge obtained.
Dr. Philipa Asantewaa Larbi the 2023 TOF Early Career Award recipient, who is being guiding through her ‘mentorship program’ by Dr. Luigi Bilotto, is already reaping the benefits with the connections she is gaining through her mentor. Through his connections, Dr. Luigi Bilotto made it possible for Dr. Larbi to visit the College of Optometry at SUNY on her recent visit to New York.

20/08/2024

Today is the last opportunity to submit nominations for the 2024 TOF Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Optometry.
Candidates for nomination are individual less than 6 years post-graduation who has made a significant contribution to the practice and development of optometry and/or the visual enhancement of the public, and who has distinguished themselves among their peers, for example, through leadership.

For all the requirements and details refer to our website

2024 The Optical Foundation Early Career Award. The Optical Foundation Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Optometry We are accepting candidates nominations for The Optical Foundation Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Optometry Award. This....