October Eye Health Month 2009
What is Eye Health Month?
- Eye Health Month is held annually in October by the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) to promote the need for preventive eye care examinations;
- Provincial optometrists associations and CAO members play a crucial role during Eye Health Month;
- Nationally coordinated activities include media outreach, television advertising and special programs.
2009 Eye Health Month Theme
Canadians and Screen Time – Be Kind to Your Eyes
Eye Health Month Objectives
- Promote optometrists as key experts on eye health while providing tips to minimize strain and damage to the eyes;
- Promote practical tips to ease computer eye strain and the advice from optometrists about relieving tired and irritated eyes.
We will highlight computer vision syndrome.
- What causes computer vision syndrome?
- How is computer vision syndrome diagnosed?
- How is computer vision syndrome treated?
- Computer eye strain: steps for relief.
Eye Health Month 2009 – Public Relations Activities
With the assistance of a public relations firm, CAO will coordinate a range of PR activities leading up to and during Eye Health Month, including:
- National media relations campaign during October including lifestyle publications;
- Ask an Optometrist (PDF)
- Female Baby Boomers at Greatest Risk of Developing Computer Vision Syndrome (PDF)
- Female Baby Boomers and Screen Time (PDF)
- Matte stories – prepared stories to be available for community newspapers;
- Tips for Minimizing Computer Vision Syndrome (PDF)
- Eye Health Month Sample Article (PDF)
- News Canada Scan (PDF)
- Print–Ready Media
- Hold an Open House – opportunity to profile your practice and promote services/products related to the 2009 EHM theme (download poster and postcard invitation 7.7MB);
- Advertise as an individual or with your colleagues (download print ads – various sizes 9.5MB);
- Patient recall card – send a recall card using the 2009 EHM theme (download recall card 1.0MB);
- Poster - download a 11x17 or 18x24 Eye Health Month poster and print locally (download posters 6.5MB);
- Video news release – prepared coverage available to television news;
- Audio news release – prepared coverage available to radio stations;
- Online outreach to parent bloggers, tech bloggers.
- HOYA Vision Care Canada has announced a special Eye Health Month promotion in support of the Canadian Optometric Education Trust. For every purchase of either Nulux Active 8 or Nulux Active 5 in October, 2009, HOYA will contribute $5 to COETF. CAO members will also receive free AR. Visit www.nuluxactive8.com for more details. HOYA Vision Care Canada is a proud partner of the Eye Health Council of Canada, which supports CAO’s public education programs.
In addition, the national television campaign (Your Optometrist Knows Your Eyes Inside and Out) will run in the Fall, 2009 with increased advertising during the entire month of October.
For the Media
Media Inquiries
For more information about Eye Health Month, see the resources above, email the CAO at dircomm@opto.ca or Leslie Laskarin 1-888-263-4676, ext: 213.
