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While the general population relies on opticians for support with their ophthalmic device and eyewear needs, opticians as professionals are constantly being underserved by their own professional community. For instance, if you are an optician in the state of Nebraska, you cannot seek assistance from a local optician’s association or society. Instead, you must attend an optometric/parametric association seminar that’s held only once a year.
Recently, I was on a phone call with my mentor discussing just this, as well as education, licensure, and certifications in opticianry. We came to the conclusion that a spotlight needs to shine on these topics once again. Now, this isn’t new information. As a professional community, we have drastic inconsistencies in licensure and education requirements from state to state. In February 2021, fellow optician, Maryann Santos, wrote a continuing education article published by 20/20 magazine, “The State of Opticianry” which featured eye-opening statistics: ‘There are currently 29 non-licensing states, 19 of them with no opticianry association or society of their own representing their opticians and aspiring opticians.’ The statistics today are the same a year later, as they have been for years prior. That's a large population of ECP’s without a voice in their own neighborhood.
I, along with many other industry leaders, are passionate about helping the opticians of tomorrow, and we needed to amplify our voices to reach a larger crowd. Charlene Nichols, and Dr. Irina Yakubin, O.D., are the entrepreneurs behind “My Vision Show” and have afforded us this opportunity on their platform. We are grateful that, with their help, and with the help of sponsorships from companies such as Drill Specialty Lab, Eyeon powered by SwissFlex, and Optigal Consulting, we were able to do just that.
Dr. Aarlan Aceto, Carrie Wilson, ABOM, Barry Santini, ABOM, Wesley Scott, ABOM, and I had our first ‘Opticianry Peer Panel’ and we were able to have this important discussion. During this time, we were able to reflect, assess, and anticipate what opticianry may look like for tomorrow's ECP’s. We were also able to shed light on how organizations such as National Federation of Opticianry Schools, National Academy of Opticianry, and many other organizations are, and can be of service to opticians.
In an age when technology is rapidly evolving, we have a perfect opportunity to take advantage of the innovative platforms available to us. The statistics mentioned above have been challenges for decades, and organizations such as the Opticians Association of America, and the American Board of Opticianry-National Contact Lens Examiners are tirelessly fighting on our behalf… but they need your help. They need to hear about your needs, they need participation from you, the ECP’s, to help push the industry forward.
This is an inclusive community, and we need to rally all opticians to strengthen our field. Whether you are an aspiring optician in a non-licensing state working within a conservatively sized dispensary, or a licensed optician in a metropolitan boutique, we all need you to get involved. If your community has no representation for a local association or society, and you or someone you know is interested in taking that first step in helping augment opticianry, reach out to The Opticians Association of America. They have a liaison who can help you get an association or society started or revived. It is our responsibility to act and make decisions for the opticians of tomorrow.
