Ahead of World Sight Day, Fighting Blindness hosts “Meet the Experts” conference

It’s a valuable opportunity to meet and ask questions of some of the foremost experts at the cutting edge of research into sight loss. Fighting Blindness, Ireland’s leading charity pioneering world-leading research into treatments and cures for sight loss and blindness, has just announced details of Retina 2018 for people affected by sight loss.

The Public Engagement Day, supported by Novartis, will take place ahead of World Sight Day (October 11), on Saturday October 6 at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin 8. It sees hundreds of people with a wide range of vision impairments come together from all over the country to connect with others who have been through similar experiences, and to hear of the latest research, clinical trial and treatment developments underway. People wishing to attend can register at www.retina.ie. To coincide with the event, Fighting Blindness has published its ‘Top Tips for Better Eye Health’ at www.retina.ie/eye-health-tips [full details below].

Retina 2018 comes against a backdrop of latest figures showing that there are approximately 224,000 people in Ireland who are living with vision impairment or blindness.

The event will feature speakers on a range of hot-button topics, including clinical trials, genetic testing, and emerging therapies. There will also be a presentation on smart homes and how voice control technology is revolutionising life in the home for people with sight loss. Special guest at the event will be sculptor Victoria Claire who was diagnosed with the rare degenerative eye condition, retinitis pigmentosa (RP), at the age of 19. Victoria will share her experiences about coming to terms with losing her vision and how she feels that the blind community are excluded from mainstream exhibitions by not being allowed to touch works of art, whereas she feels that sculpture needs to be felt – something that she actively encourages.