On Thursday 9th October creative influencers and visionaries joined forces to take part in World Sight Day, a day that raises global awareness about blindness and visual impairment, at an intimate breakfast at newly-launched Hammer & Tong in Fitzroy.
Guests were asked to explore the idea of what sight means to them by enjoying part of the event blindfolded which helped to put in to perspective how important our sight is to us. Currently, 285 million people around the world are blind or visually impaired, more than 80 per cent don’t have to be.
TOMS guest of honour Peter Brew Bevan shared his story around what sight has come to mean to him as an artist/photographer who has been diagnosed with glaucoma and how his work is evolving to accommodate for that with art and images for the sighted and visually impaired.
John Elliot, TOMS Australia and New Zealand Sole Saver, also spoke on the fantastic work TOMS are doing giving sight to those in need, through prescription glasses, medical treatment and sight-saving surgery.
The TOMS eyewear collection is available at select independent retailers around Australia and online at www.toms.com.
Why Sight?
- 285 million people are blind or visually impaired. 80% don’t have to be
- 90% of the world’s visually impaired people live in developing countries
- 80% of what a child learns through the first 12 years of life is through vision
TOMS Eyewear launched in 2011, with every pair of TOMS eyewear sold TOMS gives sight through providing prescription glasses, medical treatment and/or sight-saving surgery with each purchase. To date, TOMS have given sight to over 250, 000 people in need around the world.
Photography Credit: Guy Evans Photography