March is Workplace Vision Wellness Month

Prevent Blindness America's Healthy Eyes Vision Wellness Program is designed to help companies provide the tools employees need to protect their eye health. With more than 100 organizations already participating, the program offers educational and promotional materials that help deliver critical vision wellness information in the workplace. The materials were developed by leading eye care professionals including ophthalmologists, optometrists and research professionals designed to encourage employees to make vision care a health priority and help to avoid needless pain and suffering from preventable eye diseases.  

"Healthy vision is something that is so vital to our quality of life, yet we tend to take it for granted that it will always be there for us," said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America. "This program will allow companies to provide useful and timely information about eye wellness and eye safety to their most important resource, their employees."

Employers may benefit from the free Healthy Eyes Vision Wellness Program through by the potential for increases in worker productivity, the reduction of vision-related disability claims and health benefit costs and a reduction of absenteeism, sick leave and premature retirement due to vision-related illness or work related eye injuries.

When participants join the Healthy Eyes Vision Wellness Program, they receive:

• Vision Wellness in the Workplace Promotion Guide
• Prevent Blindness America's Healthy Vision Observance Calendar
• Monthly e-mailed vision health and safety posters, fact sheets and eye health and safety news updates
• The Common Eye Myths poster
• Adult Vision Risk Assessment for employees
• Sample Healthy Eyes Vision Wellness Guide

Prevent Blindness America also encourages companies to enroll in its Wise Owl Eye Safety Recognition Program . Since 1948, this program has provided safety education materials to employers to help their employees avoid eye accidents as well as offers recognition to companies and individuals who have saved vision through dedication to proper eye protection in the workplace. In fact, 90 percent of all eye injuries are preventable by wearing the proper protective eyewear.

To learn more about the Healthy Eyes Vision Wellness Program, the Wise Owl Eye Safety Recognition Program, or to receive free information on eye safety in the workplace, visit the Prevent Blindness web site.