Project Eye Opener is a unique program with a dual purpose.
First and foremost, to identify children who suffer from congenital blindness due to bilateral cataract, and to surgically treat them.
Second, to rigorously monitor the development of various aspects of functional vision.
Cataract removal, which results in a clear image being projected onto the retina, is obviously a necessary condition for acquiring functional vision, but it is not sufficient. The newly sighted must learn to interpret the image on the retina through the development of visual cortical pathways.
We are convinced that rigorous scientific inquiry is essential for a deeper understanding of the processes involved in vision acquisition, as well as for mapping the possible obstacles that may limit performance.
The ultimate goal of this study is to utilize this acquired information to develop optimal perceptual learning paradigms suited for the newly sighted. This would allow acquisition of a larger repertoire of visual skills, leading to a better quality of life for the treated children.
2007-2008
Dr. Itay Ben-Zion, complets his fellowship at Indiana University in and chose to spend a year in Ethiopia to advance the treatment of eye-related diseases in the country. During this year, Dr. Ben-Zion established a pediatric eye service at Hawassa University and restored sight to hundreds of children.
2011
Dr. Itay Ben-Zion was approached by Prof. Ehud Zohary, a neuroscientist who has been studying the brain processes underlying visual perception in humans and non-human primates for two decades. Ehud was keen to combine scientific inquiry into the effects of early blindness with the opportunity to radically change the lives of children with treatable blindness.
Thus, Project Eye Opener came to life.
2014
Beyond the main efforts of surgical treatment and visual function analysis, our goal is to provide the best possible rehabilitation process for the treated children. We recruited Dr. Uri Polat, who has pioneered novel perceptual learning techniques for recovering vision in patients with amblyopia, presbyopia, and developmental object and face agnosia.
An active rehabilitation program for these patients, employing Dr. Polat’s techniques, has begun at the Sheshemene Blind School in Ethiopia.
2017-today
The project expanded to three schools for the blind and two hospitals.
So far, sight has been restored to 133 children.
Our medical screening and treatment sites
Future Sites
Current Sites
Sheshemene Blind School
Sebeta Blind School
Bako Blind School
Hawassa Referral Hospital
