Closing the Eye Gap

In Alberta, far too many people are living with preventable vision loss simply because they cannot access the care A shortage of eye care professionals, recent reductions in public coverage for optometry services, and limited integration between health systems have created serious gaps in care, particularly for those already facing economic or geographic barriers.

In rural Alberta, communities face significant challenges accessing eye health services, with 21% of residents traveling more than 50 kilometres to receive care. Many rural and Indigenous communities lack local optometry clinics. While eye health professionals are willing to serve these areas, they are often discouraged by the high cost of setting up a practice in locations with lower patient volume and limited financial incentive.

To help close this gap, Operation Eyesight is expanding its programs to Canada. After years of delivering results across South Asia and Africa, we are now adapting our model to serve Canadian communities facing similar barriers.

We are seeking your support to build capacity for sustainable, community-based eye care in Alberta. This includes providing licensed optometrists with portable diagnostic equipment to conduct outreach clinics in rural and Indigenous communities, as well as developing culturally appropriate eye health education materials for schools, families, and community workers.

The equipment will be provided to Operation Eyesight’s partnering optometrists as part of a coordinated outreach and education program. This approach removes the financial burden of purchasing equipment for providers, while eliminating the need for patients to travel long distances for basic care. We are also developing Eye Health Education Materials and Activity Kits tailored to the communities we will serve. All materials and templates will be adapted to reflect local language, culture, and imagery, and will be customized in close consultation with community partners.

This project also includes training sessions and educational presentations for teachers, parents, and community staff covering essential eye health information, signs of vision problems in children, nutrition tips for healthy eyes, and guidance on eyeglass care and repair. We will strengthen local capacity, expand outreach services, and improve early detection and treatment of vision problems, helping prevent avoidable blindness and support long-term community wellness.

People needing glasses will get them free of charge.

Canadians Living in rural areas who would need to travel a minimum of two hours to access eye health services.

Indigenous Men, Women, Youth, Elders,  and Children living in remote  locations.

Economically challenged  individuals and families living in AB