Jason Singh is Senior Director of OneSight, a CityLink partner organization dedicated to improving vision for those in need locally and worldwide through outreach, research and education.
What is OneSight’s Mission and Purpose?
OneSight is a public charity based in the US that has helped over 8 million people with vision problems around the world. Our founding global sponsor is the Luxottica Corporation.
We serve clientele in a variety of ways:
1. Vision Van Clinics: Our Vision Vans help patients in local communities.
2. Regional Clinics: Free eye care and eyewear to those in need in our regions through temporary Optical Clinics.
3. Global Clinics: Global travel to hand-deliver free eye care and eyewear through temporary Optical Clinics.
4. Sustainable Vision Care Projects: We are now looking for longer-term, sustainable partnerships to continue this important work long into the future. CityLink is one of these sustainable projects.
Why did OneSight decide to partner with CityLink?
First and foremost, CityLink is located in our own local community (we are based in Mason, Ohio). We are committed to helping people around the world, which we know starts in our own backyard. Additionally, we have over 2000 employees in the Cincinnati area who bring expertise in eyecare and who want to get involved locally. The CityLink partnership allows us to mobilize our local employees to share their skills and make an impact in this community. Thirdly, we love what CityLink is all about. We are passionate about serving people from underprivileged communities—we do this globally and locally. When we look at this collective of best-in-class partners to help those in need, it is a story we can all relate to and want to get behind.
Why is proper eyesight so important to the CityLink population?
It is well documented that 80% of learning is visual. To move people on that path of self-sustainability, it only makes sense to remove barriers that would keep them from doing so. One of those barriers is vision care. We know that in order to find and maintain a job, having healthy vision is critical to employment success.
How will the OneSight program work at CityLink?
OneSight is committed to installing two eye exam rooms and a full finishing lab at CityLink so we will be able to manufacture eyewear on site. Similar to a retail setting, clients will receive their glasses in about an hour. We are providing all of the equipment and some of the operational expenses. We will have doctors on site so we will provide comprehensive eye exams focusing on clients’ vision and eye health.
Additionally, OneSight is involved in working with children at Oyler School in the West End to provide eyecare. According to the school administration, over 76% of children at Oyler School have no access to vision care. The lab at CityLink will provide all of the eyewear to the OneSight Vision Clinic at Oyler School to children who don’t have Medicaid. This will be a wonderful circle of giving back to impact the people of CityLink and the clinic at Oyler School.
