ASCO Participates at NOA
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ASCO Participates at NOA
ASCO was thrilled to attend the National Optometric Association’s (NOA) annual conference in Anaheim in July. The mission of NOA is advancing the visual health of minority populations.
As part of ASCO’s increased diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging efforts, ASCO has recently launched its Eye on Diversity initiative. The Eye on Diversity initiative is generously sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Vision.
A part of this initiative is its Voices of Diversity video project, which is compiling people’s personal stories and experiences with diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, or lack thereof. These stories are both positive and negative and will be a teaching tool for faculty and students.
More than 30 ODs and students taped their personal testimony on topics ranging from microaggressions, cross-cultural racism, lack of belonging in a clinical setting, imposter syndrome, and much, much more. These videos will be available for viewing and used as training tools through a variety of ASCO’s platforms soon.
During the conference, ASCO also promoted the Inspiring Future ODs Ambassador program and gave out Optometry Gives Me Life t-shirts. More than 50 people signed up to be optometry ambassadors!
“We are very grateful to NOA for allowing us to attend the NOA conference and to everyone who took the time to speak honestly and openly about their experiences about being part of the optometric profession,” says Dawn Mancuso, ASCO’s Executive Vice President/CEO. “Witnessing participants’ bravery by so openly sharing their personal experiences is so awe-inspiring. These videos will be extremely valuable to our faculty and students.”
“We were so happy to have ASCO attend our NOA meeting this year,” says Dr. Sherrol Reynolds, NOA Past-President. “The Voices of Diversity project allowed our members and students to speak their truth about the challenges surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging that have existed, and still exist, in optometry. We hope these videos will effectively educate optometric faculty and students how to be better practitioners to the patients they serve. We look forward to seeing the finished product.”
