World Sight Day 2026 # Love Your Eyes

World Sight Day, on the 8th October 2026, is a global awareness day to focus attention on vision impairment, including blindness.

Globally, at least 1 billion people have vision impairment that could be prevented or has yet to be addressed. Vision impairment affects people of all ages, with the majority being over the age of 50. Vision impairment and blindness can have major and long-lasting effects on all aspects of life, including daily personal activities, interacting with the community, school and work opportunities, and the ability to access public services.

Unoperated cataract and uncorrected refractive error are the leading causes of vision impairment. Other causes such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, infectious diseases of the eye, and trauma, however, cannot be ignored and need to be addressed. 

What action can you take? Firstly prioritise your own eye care. As well as identifying problems early, regular eye examinations improve general understanding about eyes and vision. Talk to family members and check they are also having routine eye checks from age 40 onwards.

Envoy Audio Books from Blind Low Vision NZ

At our recent Low Vision Support Group meeting we saw a demonstration of this fantastic little audio player. This is another innovation available for Blind Low Vision New Zealand (BLVNZ) Members, aimed to improve accessibility to the huge library of audio books.

Back in the 1980s when my grandmother listened to audiobooks from the Foundation for the Blind, these came as cassettes used on a player - all supplied as part of the service. The challenge was then, and is still today, how to select books from the catalogue when you cannot read. For my Gran, the answer was a reading friend. She would read through the printed list and make a number of selections/choices.

Audio player technology has undergone quite a few upgrades since those days, including Daisy Players, and more recently Alexa Smart Speakers. These are a great improvement in accessibility, and a digital library is more immediate too. The Alexa is operated with voice commands, and has many other helpful applications like setting reminders, and telling the time. However trying to browse and select titles using only voice commands is a real challenge.

The new Envoy Connect is another update. This compact unit, is solar powered and has a very simple tactile, six button keypad, making it ideal for blind and low vision users.

The problem of how to find books to read still remains. Low Vision Users need help to select books from the catalogue. This can be friend or family. Or here in Warkworth we have the wonderful Katie Mitchell who is the Community Engagement Library Assistant at Warkworth Library. Katie and her team of volunteers help select titiles and queue these up ready for download to the Envoy.

Will hobby glasses damage my vision?

Options for buying ready readers, or hobby glasses are infinite, from the chemist to the petrol station, supermarket and book shop. But are these harmful for your eyes?

No. Wearing off the shelf reading glasses is not harmful for your eyes or vision.

BUT what could be harmful is skipping full eye checks. These regular eye examinations are when we identify any early signs of problems which can effect your vision long term.

It may be that ready readers are absolutely fine and a good choice to help you see clearly for reading and other close up tasks. An eye examination can confirm this. We can demonstrate a personalised prescription and compare with off the shelf reading glasses so you can judge the difference yourself.

We have a great range of I Need You reading glasses, perfect if you don’t need individualized prescription glasses, or to have a spare pair, and the quality of the lenses is ensured.

Glaucoma Webinar Series

Glaucoma New Zealand now have a number of brilliant webinar and educational videos. They cover a wide range of topics, starting with the questions people wish they had asked at their appointments. Included are research updates, information on treatment and surgery, as well as lifestyle choices which may be helpful.

If you have glaucoma, or are on eye drops for eye pressure, or have a family member with glaucoma, or you simply want to learn more, check out the videos.

You can watch these on the Glaucoma New Zealand Website, or subscribe to the Glaucoma New Zealand YouTube channel.

Don't Ignore Eye Rubbing in Kids

Have you noticed your child rubbing their eyes a lot, especially when they’re tired, reading, or during allergy season? While it might seem harmless, frequent eye rubbing is something worth paying attention to.

There are many reasons our eyes can feel itchy, dry or irritated. Allergies, hay fever and dry eyes can all make us want to rub. Although it might feel good temporarily, rubbing can actually make things worse, particularly when allergies are involved. A better option is to use suitable lubricating or allergy eye drops, and you can gently apply a cool compress, such as a cool flannel, to help soothe irritated eyes.

Our eyelids and the delicate tissues around our eyes also have to last a lifetime! Regular, forceful rubbing can put unnecessary mechanical stress on the eyelids and the surface of the eye, so it’s a habit worth discouraging in children.

One condition we particularly watch out for is keratoconus. Keratoconus is a progressive eye condition where the cornea (the clear front surface of the eye) becomes thinner and bulges into a cone shape. This can affect vision over time. Frequent and vigorous eye rubbing is associated with keratoconus, particularly in people who are already predisposed to developing the condition. Children with allergies, hay fever, eczema or asthma may be more likely to rub their eyes, so it’s especially important to address the underlying itch and irritation.

If your child is rubbing their eyes regularly, it’s a good idea to bring them in for a comprehensive eye exam.  We can check their eye health, vision and corneal shape, and help identify whether allergies, dryness or another issue could be contributing. Early detection can make all the difference. 

So if you need any further encouragement see the video below of an MRI showing a violent knuckle rub to an eye. Dr Damien Gatinel, an ophthalmologist who looks after people with keratoconus studied eye rubbing using MRI imaging.

We’re here to support your family’s eye health. To book a comprehensive eye examination, call us on 09 425 9646 or book online through our website. 

– Emily, Optometrist

Myopia control lenses got smarter! MiyoSmart IQ

Hoya have recently released an update on their successful myopia control spectacle lens MiyoSmart. Called MiyoSmart IQ, the new lens builds on the success of MiyoSmart.

The global rise in myopia, commonly referred to as short sight, continues. Projections indicate that nearly half of the world’s population could be affected by 2050.

Optometrists have shifted our focus from simply prescribing glasses and contact lenses to improve vision. Now we have new lens and contact lens technology which reduce the risk of progression.

Progression means the strength of the prescription gets stronger as vision continues to worsen. This progression causes the eye to grow., called axial elongation. Occuring mainly during childhood and teen years, this is the key driver of future vision-threatening pathology.

We have been dispensing these MiyoSmart lenses for some years. There is strong evidence, from a two-year randomised controlled trial (RCT) showing these lenses are more effective than traditionally dispensed single-focus lenses. More effective at what? Slowing the progression of shortsightedness, with its associated eye lengthening.

Glasses remain one of the most accessible and widely accepted approaches for young children, which is why these lenses were revolutionary. The first study, and its follow up, showed a sustained treatment effect. So myopia did not progress.

These novel lenses have small dimples across, them, which are called DIMS - defocus incorporated multiple segments. The DIMS zone is in the periphery of the lens which is clear in the centre. The newer design has extended the zone and the intenisty of these DIMS.

Ask us for more information about myopia control and management.