Doug Allan at the Emperor Colony
Doug Allan, a world-renowned wildlife, and documentary cameraman with an illustrious career spanning decades has worked on many BBC programmes with the iconic Sir David Attenborough.
With an incredible track record of capturing stunning visuals in some of the most challenging environments on Earth, Doug Allan understands the invaluable gift of healthy sight. He recounted a personal journey with glaucoma and thanks to early detection and intervention, Doug’s condition has been managed, allowing him to continue his remarkable work.
Doug said: “My work as a wildlife and documentary cameraman takes me into the world’s wildernesses. I relish the bite of a freezing wind on my skin, rain on my face, or sand between my toes. But imagine if I couldn’t see the distant horizons. Didn’t have acute enough vision to make out the animals against the skyline or the jungle backdrop. I would be missing so much.
“I have glaucoma. I was lucky – it was diagnosed 25 years ago during a routine medical before a trip to Antarctica. My condition was picked up in time, and while there’s been some deterioration it still doesn’t really impact on what I do.
“Healthy sight is absolutely critical and it’s a pleasure and privilege to support the Royal Society for Blind Children ahead of World Sight Day”.
Doug Allan recognizes that not everyone is as fortunate as he has been, and many individuals face daily challenges due to vision impairments and Doug is supporting the Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC) to raise awareness ahead of World Sight Day, a global event observed annually on October 12th.
Organisations are encouraged to donate via the charity’s Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/wsd and encourage their employees to review their own eye health and send a photo of their eyes to RSBC so that a commemorative piece of art can be created – a spectacular mosaic image of any eye.
World Sight Day serves as a poignant reminder of the obstacles faced by individuals with vision impairments. It is also a call to action for individuals, businesses, and organizations to support charitable initiatives like RSBC, which are dedicated to improving the lives of visually impaired children and young people.
Notable figures such as Dame Judi Dench, blind TV presenter Chris McCausland, and renowned author Chris Brookmyre have added their support behind RSBC’s mission to raise £100,000. This initiative aims to empower visually impaired children and young people while emphasising the importance of eye health for individuals of all ages.
Business and individuals from across the UK are encouraged to make a minimum £5 donation online and email a photo of their eyes. An artist will then create a bespoke piece of mosaic art made up of thousands of pairs of eyes.
Shalni Sood, Director of Philanthropy at the Royal Society for Blind Children said: “We aim to raise £100,000 to support blind children and their families and raise awareness of people living with sight loss.
“It’s not just about opening up discussions around inclusivity, it’s also about the importance of eye health in every aspect of life, not just at work.”
Shalni Sood added: “To celebrate World Sight Day, we are creating a unique piece of digital mosaic art made up of thousands of images of eyes to celebrate vision of all levels. We encourage not just businesses but schools, individuals, and community groups from all over the world to join us…”
Doug Allan’s advocacy for eye health underscores the message that healthy sight is a precious gift that should never be taken for granted. As the world prepares to observe World Sight Day on Thursday, October 12th, RSBC encourages everyone to recognize the significance of prioritizing eye health, particularly in the workplace.
Doug is touring the UK throughout October, visiting Morecombe, Exeter, St Albans, Newbury and more. Full tour dates can be found here.
For more information about RSBC’s World Sight Day , please visit https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/wsd.
