National View on Opticianry | October 2026
Dear Reader,
October’s changing leaves signal more than a shift in season; they mark the start of our busiest stretch of the year. State association meetings, national conferences, and early planning for the UOA National Conference, June 2-5, 2027 in Minneapolis, are already in full swing.
We’re also launching a new feature this month: A View From the Board, spotlighting one of UOA’s strategic pillars through the lens of a board member. We kick things off with Board President Dr. Aarlan Aceto, who shares his perspective on the future of opticianry education.
This issue is packed with committee news, advocacy updates, and fresh collaboration across the vision ecosystem. Settle in and enjoy this month’s National View.
EDUCATION
A View From the Board
Associations, advocacy, licensing, certification, and public awareness all matter to opticianry, and Dr. Aarlan Aceto sees education as the foundation under each of them. In the first A View From the Board, he explains what a shared educational foundation could mean for opticians on any pathway into the profession, and how UOA is beginning to explore a framework with educators, experienced opticians, and industry partners.
Read the full message, Education as the Foundation of Opticianry.
New on the Blog
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Licensure and certification often get treated as the same thing, though they answer different questions. Licensure is set by each state and varies widely: Connecticut requires an 8,000-hour apprenticeship or a two-year degree plus state exams, while New Hampshire requires registration only.
Certification is earned through national exams, the NOCE for opticians and the CLRE for contact lens fitters and technicians, and is not tied to any one state. In many licensed states, certification is the entry point into licensure, yet most do not require an optician to keep it current afterward, so renewal often rests on continuing education instead.
The post explains why both matter for patient care and where to check the rules in your own state, including UOA's interactive regulatory map.
Read the full post: Licensed vs. Certified Opticians: What's the Difference?
Student to Leadership Program
Applications are open for the 2027 Student to Leadership Program powered by HOYA Vision Care. The program’s travel grant covers travel and conference registration for the One Vision | One Voice | One UOA National Conference in Minneapolis, June 2-5, 2027, where recipients join opticians, educators, state association leaders, and industry partners for hands-on learning, advocacy discussions, and leadership development, and meet other students and apprentices starting their careers.
New this year, recipients will be featured in a special issue of INVISION Magazine, an early chance to introduce themselves and their goals to readers across the optical industry.
Applicants can be enrolled in a formal education program, be a registered apprentice, or work under the guidance of a mentor or sponsor. The grant is awarded once per person, and anyone who applied previously and was not selected is welcome to apply again. Applications are due February 1, 2027.
Know a student, apprentice, or trainee who should apply? Send them the link.
College Bowl 2027
On Friday, March 12, 2027, opticianry students compete at The Venetian Expo in Las Vegas in the UOA College Bowl, a game-show-style contest covering anatomy and physiology of the eye, ophthalmic dispensing, ophthalmic fabrication, contact lenses, and optics. Along with bragging rights for their school, the winner takes home a $1,000 prize and a pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses. The top three finishers also receive professional tools provided by McCray Optical Supply, and competitors receive a gift bag that includes a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses.
Cheer on the competitors and watch the next generation of opticians in action. The College Bowl takes place during Vision Expo, March 10-13. Registration has not opened yet, so get notified when it does.
MEMBERSHIP
Your Questions Answered
Membership is $45 through October 15 and includes a voice in Delegate Assembly, conference discounts, and a national network of opticians. Three quick answers before you join.
Is membership worth the cost? Yes! Members have a voice in the future of the profession, including participation in Delegate Assembly, and receive discounts on the national conference and other events, access to professional education and resources, and a national network of opticians. Membership also helps strengthen advocacy, expand educational opportunities, and advance opticianry nationwide.
What if I’m already a member of my state association? If your state association is a UOA member, your membership is included through it, along with access to UOA member benefits. If your state association has not joined UOA, you can join as an individual member or encourage your state association to become a member, so more opticians in your state can benefit from a unified national network.
Do I have to be ABO or NCLE certified? No, certification is not required to join UOA. Whether you are certified, licensed, an apprentice, a student, or working toward certification, you are welcome here.
ADVOCACY
Children's Vision and the EDVI Act
UOA has endorsed the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children (EDVI) Act, which would create the first national program dedicated to children’s vision and eye health by funding state and community efforts to find vision problems early and connect children to eye care.
Opticians can ask Congress to support the bill through the Prevent Blindness Legislative Action Center. State associations and other organizations can add their endorsement through the sign-up form, and the EDVI Act page includes a social media toolkit for spreading the word.
ACU MA Eye Care Forum Recap
Only 3.6% of the more than 32 million patients served in Federally Qualified Health Centers receive any form of vision care. UOA Executive Director Gwen Cooper called out this data during her presentation to attendees of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved (ACU) Massachusetts Eye Care Forum. UOA's presentation covered the role opticians can play in community health settings, from delivering high-quality optical care to strengthening practice management through cross-training and integrated workflows.
Cooper asked attendees to imagine the impact on learning, chronic disease, and mental health if that number rose by even 10%, and added, "UOA is ready to help build the workforce and the systems needed to close this gap." UOA continues to collaborate with ACU’s Eye Health and Vision Care Consortium, and the conversation continued most recently at AAO, where (pictured left to right) Dr. Michael Cianca, OD, of Brockton Neighborhood Health Center and member of the Massachusetts Eye Care Forum, Gwen Cooper, and Dr. Julie Le, OD, of Lowell Community Health Center, Chair of the Massachusetts Eye Care Forum.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Life in Focus Cataract Kit
The Vision Council Foundation, in partnership with EyeMed Vision Care, has released Life in Focus: An Interactive Guide to Cataracts, a free kit that gives patients a firsthand look at how cataracts affect vision. Eye care professionals can order printed kits at no cost or download electronic versions to print, and additional kits covering other vision conditions are in development.
Eyes on STEAM Classroom Kit
Middle school students can explore how the eye and corrective lenses work, and learn about careers in opticianry, through Eyes on STEAM in the Real World, a free, classroom-ready teaching kit launched by Transitions Optical with its Optical Advancement Board and curriculum specialists Young Minds Inspired. The activities are aligned to education standards.
Educators can find the kit at ymiclassroom.com.
Labofta Member Discount
Through UOA's partnership with Labofta, members receive a 20% discount on their full equipment line, from refractors and autofocimeters to vision charts. Review the catalog and reach out to Labofta directly to take advantage of the discount.
Vision of Hope Board Openings
Vision of Hope Foundation has three open seats on its board and is looking for people in this industry who want to help shape where the foundation goes next. These are at-large positions, open to anyone ready to contribute at the board level rather than tied to a specific role. Vision of Hope was formed to promote and support international, national, and community-based vision-related mission work, support opticianry education, and develop future opticianry leaders.
Board members serve a two-year term, with the option to be re-elected for up to two additional terms, and meet every other month, with committee meetings as needed, for a total time commitment of about two to four hours a month.
If you have been looking for a more active way to give back to opticianry, this is a concrete place to start. Apply to serve.
UOA IN THE NEWS
Others in the profession are making the case for certification. Insight Media and the Optical Women's Association recently published pieces on how it works alongside licensure, featuring UOA leaders and master opticians, and all three articles are collected on our News page.
Insight Media Certification Series
Insight Media’s two-part guide to optician certification features UOA’s Gwen Cooper and Bob Alexander explaining how certification differs from licensure. Phernell Walker, chair of the American Board of Opticianry and a UOA board member, says certification gives patients a concrete way to know who to trust. Certification, licensure where it exists, and continuing education together give patients reason to trust an optician’s ability, whichever state they walk into.
Optical Women's Association Roundup
The Optical Women’s Association asked master opticians, educators, and industry leaders what it takes to build a stronger future for opticianry. On why certification matters in states that do not require it, Diane F. Drake, LDO, ABOM, NCLEM, FNAO, who served as president of the National Academy of Opticianry, says certification “demonstrates that a person has achieved a certain level of proficiency,” and she closes with a reminder: “Never stop learning.”
Read the roundup, Master Opticians Answer the Profession's Most Pressing Questions by Carissa Dunphy.
Eyecare Business 40th Anniversary
For its 40th anniversary celebration, Eyecare Business reached out to board members and past Game Changers across the industry for their perspective on how eyewear and eye care have changed since the magazine launched in 1986. Several UOA leaders contributed their thoughts, including John Bruening, Bob Alexander, Sandy Brown, George Mera, Michael Gatti, and George Bourque, reflecting on everything from lens fabrication and frame design to the shift toward more personalized, technology-assisted care.
Read the full reflections, Evolved Technology, Human-Centered Craft, Better Patient Care.
UOA NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Save the date and mark the spot: the 2027 One Vision | One Voice | One UOA National Conference is headed to the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest, June 2-5, 2027. Full booking and registration details are coming in future issues of National View.
From now through October 15, join UOA for just $45 and add your voice to the profession’s shared work.
Already part of a UOA state association? You're covered, no action needed. If you're not sure whether your state has one, check our interactive member map.
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Save the New Date
Mark your calendars. The 2027 UOA Conference date has been updated to June 2–6 in Minneapolis, MN. Watch upcoming issues of National View for registration details and catch the highlights from the 2026 Conference in Chicago.
On the Calendar
Thu, Oct 15 • $45 for 45 Days membership offer ends
Mon, Feb 1 • Student to Leadership Program applications due
Wed, Mar 10 to Sat, Mar 13 • Vision Expo (Las Vegas)
Fri, Mar 12 • UOA College Bowl at Vision Expo (Las Vegas)
Wed, Jun 2 to Sat, Jun 5 • UOA National Conference (Minneapolis)
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