FONDAZIONE DE RIGO H.E.ART ONLUS SUPPORTING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY OF BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PERSONS

Playing a part in offering new opportunities to the neediest local young people, by providing life-enhancing tools for a better future. Too important a challenge to miss

Fondazione De Rigo H.E.ART Onlus, in collaboration with the Belluno section of the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted (UICI), and with the support of Vision Dept, exclusive distributor in Italy of the OrCam Technologies products, has decided to donate the sophisticated, hi-tech OrCam MyEye device to 10 young blind and partially sighted students and new graduates from the local area.

A laudable initiative, also spawned by De Rigo’s unique sensitive ethos, which has always driven the company to play a part in improving the quality of people’s visual experience through its eyewear.

The activity was warmly received by the local authorities. The ceremony for the presentation of the devices, scheduled to take place on Saturday 18 September, in the Sala Bianchi of the Town Hall, benefits from the patronage of the Municipality of Belluno and aims to offer an informative evening sparking food for thought on the subject of visual impairment.

The De Rigo family, founders of Fondazione De Rigo H.E.ART Onlus, Luciana Dalle Molle, Chairperson of the Belluno section of UICI, Jacopo Massaro, Mayor of the city of Belluno, and Franco De Bon, Councillor of Belluno Province will participate in the meeting.

For Fondazione De Rigo H.E.ART Onlus - the expression of a family and a business that has always cared about people, and especially young people- supporting projects of such a high value is a moral duty and a concrete commitment to the local area, as well as further afield.

“Eyewear, for us, is a family business. Our Foundation set itself the mission to promote the training and protect the health of young people who must tackle various kinds of obstacles as they make their way in life. For us, offering blind and visually impaired young people a practical and innovative possibility that enables them to live their daily lives autonomously and to the full, and to express themselves as effectively as possible during study and work, is something that brings us great joy. And even more so when the promising youngsters in question hail from our own area, as in this case, which sees us collaborating with the Belluno section of the UICI” comments Barbara De Rigo, President of Fondazione De Rigo H.E.ART Onlus.

“We’re proud to have partnered Fondazione De Rigo H.E.ART Onlus in this project, above all for the meaning it promotes: young people are our future and we must ensure they have all the tools they may ever need to achieve their dreams and complete their plans autonomously. At such an uncertain time in history as the present, finding organisations that are so sensitive to the issue of disability is not easy” remarks Luciana Dalle Molle, Chairperson of the Belluno section of UICI.

"Visual impairment is a highly topical social issue and in the future it will have more and more impact on health policy and social and health integration. Ophthalmology is making great progress in terms of prevention and treatment of ocular pathologies and scientific research, thanks above all to new technologies, and this has made it possible to develop cutting-edge low vision aids, with the achievement of new goals in the recovery of visual autonomy of many patients” comment Dr. Luigina Tollot, director of the complex Ophthalmology unit of Belluno and Dr. Michele Del Borrello, head of the Visual Impairment Centre of the Belluno Ophthalmology department.