Silmo IOA Award winner Blair Wong flanked by Silmo president Amélie Morel and IOA director Elaine Grisdale

Presented by the International Opticians Association (IOA) in collaboration with Silmo Paris, Blair Wong from the US is the 2025 winner of the International Optician of the Year Award, recognising how his extraordinary commitment and vision are advancing the profession.

Wong, board president of international nonprofit GoodVision USA, is the first blind dispensing optician (DO) to receive the award in its history. The award honours Wong’s 45-year career spent helping others see clearly, despite his own complete vision loss from retinitis pigmentosa (RP), which was diagnosed when he was just 26 years old.

“I am very humbled and overwhelmed by this amazing honour from the International Opticians Association,” said Wong. “I hope this moment helps elevate the awareness that not only is opticianry an exciting career choice but also an opportunity to serve the most vulnerable and vision needy populations, locally and throughout the world.”

Wong was working as a practicing DO in Cambridge, US, when doctors diagnosed him with RP – on the same day his older brother received the identical diagnosis. Instead of leaving the field, Wong earned a master’s in education and redirected his career towards teaching.

Wong was selected from six international finalists by the IOA at Silmo 2025. The IOA award recognises outstanding dedication, professional achievement and contributions to advancing the profession globally.