Elaine Crossan, Vision Ireland; Fundraiser and Former Paralympian Peter Ryan, Campion Insurance; Denise Harris, CEO of the Harris Group; Jim Campion, CEO of Campion Insurance with the Vision Van.
The fundraising efforts of former Paralympian Peter Ryan in his recent Malin to Mizen head run alongside other donors means a new Vison Van Service is now available. Every day in Ireland, 18 people begin to lose their eyesight, yet 70% of blindness is preventable through early detection and treatment. Vision Ireland, formally the National Council for the Blind Ireland is making the Vision Van service available to provide access for testing and information to a wider range of locations
The Harris Group, a distributor of commercial vehicles, donated a state-of-the-art mobile unit equipped with screens and tools for detecting eye conditions, including an Amsler grid for recognising the early stages of AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration), the most common cause of blindness in Ireland in people over the age of 50. The Vision Van will also provide simulation services through virtual reality and information to the public on various other eye conditions.
Former Irish Paralympian and Tipperary hurler Peter Ryan officially launched the Vision Van today along with sponsor Denise Harris, CEO of the Harris Group also supported by Campion Insurance, Bayer and Abbvie, with Circle K covering EV charging costs.
Peter Ryan says he is “delighted to see the Vision Van get on the road. I feel that people underestimate how many people in Ireland are affected by eye conditions. It is essential that people have access to services like those offered on the Vision Van. I know it will have a massive impact in communities around Ireland.”
The Vision Van will be coming soon to locations around the country to start much-needed conversations about eye health.
