New York Institute of Technology Chapter Receives Chapter of the Year and Humanitarian Service Awards

The New York Institute of Technology chapter was awarded by Unite For Sight as the 2006-2007 chapter of the year.  Julia Nemiroff, founding president of the chapter, decided to start a chapter of Unite For Sight because her grandmother is blind due to macular degeneration. A core group of officers immediately developed, and each officer consistently worked hard to make the idea of a chapter into a reality.

Ready to begin community activities, the chapter held several vision screenings at the New York Institute of Technology college campus.  At their first vision screening, thirty (30) people were screened, all between the ages of 18 and 21.  One of the first people screened had a large discrepancy in visual acuity between their two eyes, and the individual had never been to an eye doctor.  As with all those screened, this person was matched with free health coverage programs so that they could receive their first complete eye exam by a doctor. 

After several on-campus screenings to provide services to their fellow students, the NYIT chapter moved to providing programs in local community centers.  They cited a vision screening at Parkville Preschool, where 71 preschoolers were screened, as their most influential early event.  One of the children screened was a three year old girl who was very shy, and her teacher said that she did not understand English and suggested that the volunteer move on without screening the girl.  The volunteer was determined to screen the preschooler and began the screening at the top line of the vision screening chart, which is the line that has the largest letters.  It turned out that the girl understood English and knew the shapes on the eye chart, but the vision screening revealed that the girl had very poor vision in both eyes.  The preschooler's struggles in class were likely attributable to her vision problems, and she was referred to an eye doctor for an eye examination.  All of the volunteers in the NYIT chapter were motivated by their ability to make such a significant difference for this child, as well as other children and adults in their community. The perseverance and dedication of the NYIT chapter serves as a model of excellence.

Julia Nemiroff, founding president of the NYIT chapter, was presented with the award on April 14th at the Unite For Sight Fourth Annual International Health Conference at Stanford University.  In addition to the award for the NYIT chapter, Julia Nemiroff was also presented with an individual humanitarian service award in recognition of her remarkable leadership and commitment to improving eye health for children and adults.

About Unite For Sight

Unite For Sight® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness. Unite For Sight's unwavering commitment to creating a real, lasting impact involves three types of programs: chapters in North America, international eye care outreach programs, and an annual global health conference. Unite For Sight has trained more than 4,000 volunteers who work in their local communities and abroad to provide eye health programs for those without previous access and has provided eye care services to more than 600,000 people worldwide.

For further information: