THE Office of the First Lady, on Monday, partnered with Optique Vision Care to conduct a vision screening exercise which benefitted more than 80 deaf persons from five administrative regions. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) facilitated the transport of both children and adults from Regions Three, Four, Five, Six and 10 to benefit from the initiative. The exercise, which commenced at 08:00hrs and concluded at 18:00hrs, was done at Optique’s Movietowne location at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, a release from the Office of the First lady said.

Asked why that particular group was chosen to benefit from the initiative, First Lady Arya Ali said that, because that members of that group were overly reliant on their sight for visual expressions, it was important to ensure that it was protected.

“It is very important that they have their sight because they already cannot hear or speak, so, the senses that they do rely heavily on must be protected,” Mrs Ali said. “I am sure that many of them are grateful because, from the statistics that were given to me, out of the 20 persons that were tested so far, 18 of them need spectacles,” the First Lady disclosed when she visited the exercise just after lunch. Persons underwent a free eye screening examination to detect existing or potential vision problems and disorders.

Eye drops and spectacles were also provided to those in need by Optique Vision Care, whose team of ophthalmologists and eye care specialists was led by Dr. Shailendra Sugrim. At the close of the day, a total of 57 eye tests were done on both children and adults, and, of that amount, 40 will require spectacles which will be provided in the coming months free of cost. Twenty-four persons were rescheduled to conduct their tests next week due to time constraints. Since assuming office last year, First Lady Ali has brought persons with disabilities into sharp focus by prioritising their needs and advocating for greater inclusivity of that group, the release noted.

“When we speak of ‘One Guyana,’ it must not only be defined in terms of ethnic inclusivity. Yes, that is very important. But, our One Guyana must be inclusive to every group that feels excluded or marginalised, and that includes persons with disabilities,” she added. Mrs Ali also sought to thank the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) for its support in transporting the persons, the Deaf Association of Guyana for coordinating with the various regions, and Optique for making its human and other resources available to execute the much needed initiative.

Meanwhile, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Optique, Dhani Narine, shared how delighted he was that Optique was able to partner with the Office of the First Lady to fulfil its corporate social responsibility. “This project is fitting for the season because we are giving the gift of sight for Christmas and we are very happy to be supporting the initiative and the First Lady’s Office,” Narine noted. Earlier this month, on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Mrs Ali hosted a reception for persons with disabilities at State House – the official residence of the First Family, the release noted.