Amblyopia, or lazy eye, is treatable, but goes undetected and uncorrected due to lack of access. When the patients can’t go for treatment, treatment must come to the patients. The I rescue mask empowers parents to pro-actively screen and treat their child’s eyes for free.

In Colombia, medication for sale without prescription/over-the-counter can be advertised in public media.  Invima and Ministry of social protection, the official definition is: Over-the-counter medications that the consumer can acquire without a prescription and that are intended for the prevention, treatment or relief of symptoms, signs or mild diseases.

Treating Amblyopia isn’t hard, but diagnosing kids who lack access to medical care is a challenge. When the patients can’t go for treatment, treatment must come to the patients. We needed a tool that was inexpensive to produce, easy to distribute, and most importantly, fun to use. The I rescue is a playful, die-cut mask that catches attention in periodicals and waiting rooms, and empowers parents to proactively correct their child’s eyes for free.

I rescue masks are heavyweight inserts that are easy to tear out along the die-cut. Each I rescue has a unique visual identity that stands out from surrounding collateral, and is immediately recognizable as being for children They are designed with bright colors and textured surfaces that invite interaction. They are bold so they’d be noticed. They are tempting so kids want to play with them. They are sturdy so they can last through the treatment cycle.

I rescue masks intertwine beauty and functionality. They are reversible so that they are equally charming and effective no matter which eye is being worked. Wearing the I rescue becomes a fun diversion from the tedium of the eye exercises required for treatment.

Printing details are as follows:

• 350g glazed paper

• Polychrome with Pantone inks

• Matte finished

• UV embossing with UV silk screen to create texture

The first 1500 masks distributed through a regional newspaper have become a strong proof of concept and now Dr. Vargas expects that he can begin to reach 300,000 children a year with this treatment once it’s distributed on a wider scale. Although only in the early stages, I rescue is proving to be an effective tool for screening, treatment and building awareness for the work of the Worldwide Amblyopia Campaign.

We had to place the I rescue masks in places our intended audience would see them. We picked regional newspapers and magazines popular with disadvantaged readership.

What’s in every waiting area? Magazines. To build awareness around Amblyopia, or Lazy Eye, we made use of those ubiquitous stacks of periodicals. Our team took guerrilla action and put our I rescue masks on top of the magazines, where they would be seen, touched and ultimately used to facilitate a pro-active approach and positive attitude towards Amblyopia. The I rescue is an engaging tool that turns any printed material into a Lazy Eye treatment so encountering it among magazines is the perfect context.

MASK FRONT

Your child may have a weak eye.

Screen for amblyopia with these simple exercises, following the instructions on the other side.

Lazy Eye

www.ambliopia.com

MASK BACK

Instructions for the amblyopia, or lazy eye, test.

1. Tear off the mask on the dotted line.

2. Put the mask on the child and make sure it covers one eye.

3. Have the child fill the spaces inside the letters on any page of this magazine or newspaper, like this: a, b, d, q

4. Reverse the mask and repeat the exercise, covering the other eye.

If your child leans too close to the page to read, cannot perceive depth, or presents any visual difficulty, contact your eye specialist, call 3416121 in Bogotá or visit www.ambliopia.com

Disclaimer: This test is a screening and doesn't substitute for a diagnosis.