Press Release issued: 16 November 2012.
An awards ceremony to celebrate the achievements of Africans in Scotland will urge participants to maintain their sense of vision.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland is a sponsor of the annual African Achievement Awards Scotland, being held in Glasgow this evening, at which First Minister Alex Salmond will speak.
The awards, organised by the African Forum Scotland, celebrate success in various fields such as business and community activity.
However, RNIB Scotland will take the opportunity provided to stress to people attending the importance of all communities getting their eyesight checked regularly.
Gozie Joe Adigwe of the charity said: "It is especially important for people from some ethnic groups who can be more vulnerable to certain sight-threatening conditions. Glaucoma, for instance, can be more than three times more prevalent among people of Afro-Caribbean descent and often more severe."
The charity has project workers targeting various ethnic communities in Glasgow to emphasise, in a number of languages, that eye examinations are free in Scotland and a vital step in detecting sight problems early on when they can often be arrested or even reversed.
"We want to get the eye-health message out to everyone in Scotland that your sight is precious and worth investing just a little time to maintaining," said Gozie.