I am one of the Social Worker for The National Federation of the Blind, New Delhi, India.
The National Federation of The Blind came into existence in the year 1970 with the philosophy "Let the Blind Lead the Blind" The objective for which the Federation has been established; include to strive for equality of opportunity for the Blind in the field of Education, Training and Employment etc. The Federation is serving the blind community through its various Welfare programmes run by 51 branches/affiliates and units throughout the country. It has total strength of membership of over 25000 and it is affiliated to World Blind Union.
Myself,my wife and only son are registered to pledge our eyes to the Eye Bank.
After death also we can see the world; So we wish pledge to donate our eyes.
Now I started fieldwork for eye bank to get wellwishers to be pledge their eyes to Eye Bank nearby their City.
Please visit to the first eye bank : http://www.eyedonation.org/
For Indian, who wants to plege their eyes, please visit and enroll online here; you can get pledge card within 4 weeks. Visit for more details and to register
Eye donation: Turning a blind eye.
Here are some facts and figures that should open anybody's eyes to eye donations.
We are one of the fastest growing economies in the world today; ironically, we also shoulder one of the largest populations of the visually impaired. There are almost 52 million visually impaired people and 270,000 blind children in India. That's almost one-fourth the world's blind population living in India. For the more academically oriented, as some economist pointed out, this could mean a cumulative loss of over $ 11.1 billion to our GNP! It is this kind of a grave situation that made the government initiate a first of its kind, dedicated program for the eradication of unnecessary blindness. However, even such programs are meager when compared to the magnitude of the problem. So just how bad is the situation? Open your eyes to this.Out of the 9,500,000 deaths that occurred in the country last year, only a mere 10,000 had opted for eye donations. This is in contrast to the demand of about one million eyes per annum.
Why this lack of concern?
Well, some experts like to believe that such a callous attitude on part of society is due to a lack of a concerted effort on a national scale by everyone who needs to be involved, namely, professionals, the media, Government, voluntary organizations and civil society at large.Then, there are superstitions and strange beliefs to contend with, especially in rural areas: The belief that one will be born disfigured or blind in the next birth if eyes are removed before cremation / burial. The misconception that the process of eye donation involves hassles like taking the dead person to the hospital and waiting for procedures Finally, if consent and cooperation of family members/survivors is not there, then even an eye-pledge form from the donor isuseless. So it is time, people like you and corporates like us start making the difference. It's time we all opened our eyes to eye donations. Here's your chance to gift a life. Become an eye donor today!
Who can donate eyes?
It has been proven beyond doubt that almost everyone can donate eyes. People who wear spectacles, with high B.P., diabetics or people with systemic disorders like asthma, tuberculosis, or even those who have undergone cataract surgery can donate eyes. The only criterion is a healthy and clear cornea.Eyes have to be harvested within six hours of death. So it is critical to inform the nearest eye bank. It is always best to fill out an eye-pledge form and inform family members of your desire. Expressing a desire for eye donation in one's will is fairly useless since a will is generally opened only a few days after the death, while an eye needs to be harvested within six hours.
