Sightsavers presents ‘Through Different Eyes’ – A photography exhibition by blind children

A photography exhibition by children who are visually impaired.

Sightsavers, a global development organisation working to eliminate avoidable blindness, today, inaugurated Through Different Eyes’, an exhibition showcasing photographs by 10 low vision or blind children. The outcome has been a set of brilliant pictures full of colour & expression which will be on display on May 19 and May 20, 2012 at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai from 12pm to 6 pm.

The photography exhibition was inaugurated by Mr. Suresh Shetty, Minister for Public Health and Family Welfare, Government of Maharashtra.

‘Through Different Eyes’ aims to break the myths and misconceptions around visual impairments – the fact that most eye conditions are avoidable and easily treated, and to emphasise that people who are visually impaired can overcome any challenge, with support from society. The ten children are from Sightsavers operational areas where they had been treated for eye disorders by Sankara Eye Hospital, a Sightsavers partner. The children belong to underprivileged families and would not have been able to afford quality eye care to regain their sight if not for the support from Sightsavers and Sankara Eye Hospital.

“People have been focusing mostly on what those who are visually impaired cannot do, rather than what they can, given the right support. Sightsavers aims to change that,” says Dr. Caroline Harper, O.B.E, Chief Executive, Sightsavers “We work globally with partner organisations to ensure that people who are visually impaired can achieve their potential.”

At the same event, ‘Policies & Schemes of Central & State Governments for People with Disabilities’, a compilation was released by Mr. Prasanna Pincha, The Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Government of India. The compilation has been envisaged as a one-stop reference for persons with disabilities and for the organisations working in the same sphere.

Says Elizabeth Kurian, CEO (India), Sightsavers, “In a world where every 5 seconds someone goes blind and every minute a child becomes blind, Sightsavers has been working diligently to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity to disabled people. ‘Through Different Eyes’ is our effort to educate people about the different aspects related to blindness in the hope of changing mindsets and sensitising society to the challenges that visually impaired people face in everyday life.”

“80% of blindness in this world is avoidable or curable. Lack of awareness and therefore neglecting the eye disorder, which most often is easily treatable, means people are needlessly going blind. Sightsavers has been working in India since 1966 with over 100 partner organisations across 17 states to eliminate avoidable blindness” added Elizabeth Kurian.

Details of the exhibition:
Date: Saturday, May 19 and Sunday 20, 2012
Venue: St. Xavier’s College, 5 Mahapalika Marg, Mumbai
Time: 12pm to 6 pm

About Sightsavers

Sightsavers is a global development organisation working to eliminate avoidable blindness and to ensure that people who are irreversibly blind receive the support they need to lead lives of independence and dignity.

Sightsavers has been working in India since 1966 on eye health and has reached out to over 35 million people.

Today, we work with partner organisations across major states in India bringing eye healthcare, educational support, counselling, training and leadership development to visually impaired people in some of the least served areas of the country.

We work in a sustainable way to promote lasting change – by strengthening existing health systems, seeking to advocate with and influence governments and by demonstrating best practises. We network with like-minded organisations to enable exchange of ideas and to advocate for the rights of the disabled.

Sightsavers believes in promoting indigenous technologies in eye healthcare enabling a wider reach of health services in India.