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Objective I: Eliminate the use of "street wear" in sports that represent a
risk of eye injury
 When
participating in risk-prone sports and recreational activities, nothing is more
dangerous to the eye than the use of "street" corrective eyewear or sunwear.
"Street wear" increases the severity of impact-related eye injury due to the
fact that the frame and/or lens can break into sharp pieces capable of
penetrating the eye, putting the participant at a higher risk of blindness.
"Street wear" simply does not belong on the court or playing field.
The Coalition To Prevent Sports Eye Injuries will assume a leadership role in
the effort to eradicate the use of "street wear" in sports and recreational
activities that represent a risk of eye injury. This objective will be pursued
via the following approach:
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Reinforcement of the eyecare professional's "duty to inform" regarding the
risks of eye injury associated with the use of "street wear" while
participating in sport and recreational activities that represent a risk of eye
injury. In addition to the ongoing recruitment of dedicated Coalition members,
this effort includes professional outreach programs, public speaking
engagements, training seminars and the provision of educational and promotional
materials within the eyecare community.
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Lobbying efforts to enact legislation preventing the use of "street wear" in
organized sports programs.
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Initiation of partnership programs with national health and sports
organizations to disseminate information regarding the risk of severe eye
injury related to the use of "street wear" on the court and playing field.
Objective II: Extension of protective sports eyewear to the non-ophthalmic
population
Eye care professionals are the primary source of both information regarding the
risk of sports-related eye injuries as well as protective eyewear product.
However, less than 20% of children and teenagers participating in sports and
recreational activities require corrective eyewear and therefore typically lack
routine interaction with eye care professionals. As a result, the vast majority
of sports participants and their parents are not exposed to information
regarding the risk of sports-related eye injury and/or to available protective
eyewear product. The Coalition To Prevent Sports Eye Injuries is dedicated to
extending the reach of risk information and effective product to the population
of sports participants that do not require vision correction. This objective
will be pursued based on the following approach:
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Cooperation with national heath organizations to explore channels of
communication outside of the eye care community as a means to educate athletic
program directors, coaches, parents and participants regarding the risk of eye
injury in relevant sport and recreational activities.
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Collaboration with national sports organizations to explore communications
initiatives and potential distribution structures that leverage the direct
"role model" contact of coaches and athletic directors as a means to
disseminate risk information and provide parents/participants with a choice to
protect their eyes when participating in risk-prone sports and recreational
activities.
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Collaboration with protective eyewear suppliers to support new methods of
product development and distribution that can accommodate the specific
requirements of the non-ophthalmic organized sports population.
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Lobbying efforts to enact legislation mandating the use of protective eyewear
when participating in sports that represent a risk of eye injury.
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