‘The Right To See’ is a basic human right.

Our team is working to ensure this becomes a reality for everyone in Italy by developing sustainable vision care services, investing in innovation and technology, funding subsidized and free services, and raising awareness about the need for good vision. Together with our partners, we won't stop until we have eliminated uncorrected poor vision.

Read on to experience our programs in action, visit our YouTube playlist and hear from Andrea Rendina, who leads our activities in Italy.

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Italy Region Playlist

Experience the life-changing work we're undertaking in Italy by watching our regional playlist:

Hear what Andrea Rendina has to say about our mission to deliver 'The Right To See' and how this makes a difference in Italy.

What does ‘The Right To See’ Look Like to Andrea Rendina?

Andrea Rendina ROMA

‘The Right To See’ means that all people deserve to see more and be more. 2.7 billion people around the world have vision care problems that can be solved by seeking medical attention, but they are unable to do so for several reasons. These may include cost, more pressing concerns or a lack of access to an eye care provider.
While Italy has universal healthcare coverage, there is still a lot to be done for people in this region. For specialist consultations, like eye examinations, many Italians rely on private medical centers for increased comfort, a closer doctor-patient relationship, more flexibility in scheduling and faster access to medical assistance – but this has a cost that many people cannot afford. Marginalized groups often do not have a doctor, have not had an eye exam before and, in some cases, do not even have a health card.
Poverty can be both the cause and consequence of poor vision – many with uncorrected vision issues also experience economic fragility and a lack of assistance. Those who do not have strong health literacy, a supportive network or sufficient means to seek treatment often neglect health conditions that could be treated with an early diagnosis or prevented altogether.
This is where the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation comes in – in Italy, we focus on providing the three C’s: continuity, consolidation and cooperation. Through our charity programs, we offer continuity with temporary clinics in ten Italian cities in ten months with a focus on suburbs in need like Scampia in Naples. Finally, we hope to achieve our goals by cooperating with third sector associations and vision care professionals such as UNHCR Italy, the Sant’ Egidio Community and the Vatican City. Through our determination and these initiatives, we are actively working towards our mission of ending uncorrected refractive errors in Italy and around the world in a generation.

Major Accomplishments in Italy:

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Providing Essential Eyecare Through Collaborative Efforts

We have worked to build a network of partners dedicated to providing sight to the most disadvantaged people – people who have never had an eye exam, children with high myopia and people who do not have health cards.

Our network dedicated to poor vision care is made up of eye care professionals, EssilorLuxottica volunteers and third sector associations – and it is constantly growing.

Providing Free & Subsidized Services in Italy

In Italy, we have made several efforts to deliver free eye exams and prescription glasses to people in urban and suburban communities. Our initiative "Days of Sight" sets up ten vision clinics, in ten different cities, in ten months – each lasting at least two weeks.

To address the needs of underserved populations in suburban areas, we have a program dedicated to the suburbs of major Italian cities, starting in Rome with the Corviale district and continuing to Scampia, Naples.

Creating Sustainable Access Points

Establishing sustainable access points to vision care has a lasting impact. We are working to create a permanent network of centers dedicated to the people living in major Italian cities.

Our first vision center opened in Rome in collaboration with Sant'Egidio Community with the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, present for its grand opening.

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Additionally, we are proud to support the charity clinic opened by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square, Vatican City, that replaced the Vatican post office.

Watch the video to experience our annual ‘Days of Sight’ initiative in Italy:

Enjoyed learning about our work in Italy? Check out our efforts to provide good vision throughout Latin America in our regional impact story here.

To stay up to date on our global work, follow us on social media:

What ‘The Right To See’ Looks Like in Italy 2024

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