In his keynote at the American Academy of Optometry annual meeting, educator and advocate Michael Bonner encouraged attendees to embrace action and intentionality in their work with pediatric patients. Drawing from his experience as a teacher in the Atlanta area, he compared the eyecare community’s role in implementing evidence-based myopia management to the responsibility educators have in shaping young lives. Additionally, he emphasized that purposeful choices can help change outcomes for children, according to a press release.

Following the keynote, Bonner joined a CooperVision-led panel discussion on equitable access to vision care. The panel brought together experts from across education, public health, and optometry to address persistent barriers to care for children and underserved populations. The discussion centered on practical strategies to expand awareness, access, and affordability in vision care, and panelists highlighted the importance of collaboration among industry, education, and health care systems to ensure that every child has the opportunity to see clearly and succeed.

The panel discussion echoed CooperVision’s Generation Sight initiative, which focuses on improving access to eye care for children and communities in need, according to the press release. OM