Glaucoma UK is marking Glaucoma Awareness Week 2023, which will run from 26 June to 2 July 2023. The charity asked people to share what glaucoma means to them, by completing the sentence “My glaucoma…”. Glaucoma UK received an incredible amount of campaign entries and is grateful for everyone’s contributions.
Glaucoma Awareness Week is an annual awareness-raising opportunity that aims to encourage people to get their eyes tested regularly. The campaign highlights the unique and inspiring stories of people living with glaucoma, about their diagnosis or diagnosis of a loved one. Many of the submissions revealed that the participants were not aware they had glaucoma and it was detected at a routine eye test. Some had a family history of glaucoma which made them realise that it is a risk factor for developing the disease. Through these stories, they aim to reach those who are unaware they may have the disease and urge them to book an eye test.
A Glaucoma UK member, Frances, said, “My glaucoma was diagnosed by my optometrist at a routine eye check, and before any damage had occurred in my eyes. I have been very lucky.” Another campaign participant, David, said, “My glaucoma has resignified my life forever, proving how important my sight is for my daily routine. Moreover, it has been proving how strong I can be to overcome this health problem.”
These submissions have helped Glaucoma UK create powerful posters and an online gallery featuring responses from a variety of people to reach the estimated 350,000 people in the UK who have glaucoma but are unaware of it. These posters will be placed on local high street digital screens across the UK and the gallery can be found on the Glaucoma UK website. A podcast episode called ‘Glaucoma voices: real people, real experiences’ was also created with the voices of people living with glaucoma and their stories, with advice for those who are unaware of the disease.
Most of the voices stated they were thankful they attended routine eye tests and the piece of advice that was repeatedly mentioned was to do the same, as early diagnosis meant that they were able to save their sight. This podcast will reach listeners through national and regional broadcast stations across the country. Additional campaign activities include radio and TV interviews and social media content featuring campaign submissions.
Glaucoma UK’s Chief Executive, Joanne Creighton, said, “We are grateful to everyone who has shared their stories for this year’s Glaucoma Awareness Week campaign. This campaign would not be possible without the support of those who have taken the time to send in their entries and participate in the various activities. Glaucoma UK’s aim is to end preventable glaucoma sight loss, and that starts with raising awareness of the disease through such campaigns. Glaucoma can be symptomless and early diagnosis is key to saving your sight.”
