Extraordinary Medical Device That Restores Vision Featured At Queen's Park

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 6, 2016) - For the first time, legally blind Ontarians will be coming to Queen's Park and will use a ground-breaking, Ontario technology so that they can watch - and actually see - Question Period.

eSight Corporation is a global leader in vision restoration to the visually impaired and eSight Eyewear is the only device of its kind. The breakthrough technology is nothing short of miraculous, allowing people with vision loss to not only see, but to return to work and become fully independent.

"Our technology has already transformed the lives of hundreds of Canadian early adopters," says Dr. Brian Mech, President and CEO of eSight Corporation. . "This is a technology that has been developed right here in Ontario by a world class team of engineers. Ontarians and Canadians should be proud. We are at Queen's Park today to inform the government of the opportunity to transform the lives of thousands more people in Ontario living with low vision unnecessarily."

Right now, there are close to a 100 eSight early adopters in Ontario, but that number could be much higher.

According to the CNIB, there are about 187,000 people in Ontario with vision loss or partial sight - as many as two thirds of these people could potentially have their lives transformed if they could access and purchase eSight eyewear.

Despite how life-changing the device is, the retail cost ($19,500 CDN) is out of reach for most people with low vision.

Users of eSight eyewear will be at to Queen's Park today to not only watch Question Period but also tell their MPPs about the innovative technology that changed their lives and restored their independence by enabling them to see again.

"We're here to encourage the Ontario Government to make eSight eyewear accessible to individuals with low vision by funding it," says Dr. Mech. "It not only has the potential to transform lives, but making eSight accessible will also help Ontario achieve its commitment to improve and increase employment opportunities for people with disabilities."

Among those who will be at Queen's Park is Yvonne Felix. She says if it weren't for eSight, she wouldn't be working at all.

"I have something called Stargardt's Disease which is central vision loss. So I have a big blind spot that takes up to 98 per cent of my visual field." For much of her life, this rare medical condition meant that most opportunities were simply not within reach. Although she is legally blind, with the help of eSight eyewear, she is now able to see, and work. "I get to be just like everybody else. I get to work full-time, I get to provide for my family, I no longer receive assistance from the Government of Ontario and instead, pay taxes."

"Investing in medical devices that change people's lives and give them the ability to reach their full human potential is a fraction of the cost of what it now costs government to support them for the rest of their lives," says Felix. "You kind of get funneled into this existence. The government is picking up the pieces for you and your family for the rest of your life. And now, because of eSight, I don't have to do that."

About eSight

eSight Corporation designs and manufactures electronic glasses for people with low vision. The glasses employ leading-edge technologies in cameras, optics, displays, and image processing, enabling people to see their environment in a level of detail that has typically not been possible for years, or even decades. The technology is truly life-changing; eSight wearers have been able to return to work, have been mainstreamed in school, and have resumed activities that they were previously forced to abandon.