From Eye Patches to Indie Films: How Pop Culture Can Spark Conversations About Children’s Vision Health

We know that pop culture can shape public conversations. Memes and headlines spark cultural touchpoints and can make complex health topics more relatable. A fictional character’s health-related experience on screen sparks questions about the reality of diseases like cancer or chronic health conditions such as diabetes. We connect with these characters; thus, we want to know more.

When Disney and Pixar release Elio on June 20, millions of kids and parents will meet a young boy who suddenly finds himself serving as Earth’s ambassador to outer space. I’m sure it will be a fun adventure, but what caught our attention at Prevent Blindness is something closer to home: Elio wears an eye patch. That might seem like just a quirky character trait to some, but for those of us working to prevent blindness and preserve sight, it’s an invitation to talk about something rarely part of public health discussions: children’s vision.

Just days earlier, My Eyes, a feature film shot across Australia and Mexico, created by optometrist and filmmaker Tsu Shan Chambers, will begin a series of fundraising screenings in the US. It’s a story about a mother navigating her child’s rare inherited eye condition and the life-changing impact of vision impairment. The film also stars real life Judo Paralympic Champion Eduardo Avila Sanchez, who has tunnel vision.  The film underscores the importance of early detection, access to care, and inclusion, creating a unique opportunity for public conversation.

At Prevent Blindness, we see these two cultural moments as powerful and complementary. Both provide a way to spotlight the importance of children’s vision and eye health, while reaching audiences who may not otherwise engage with traditional health messaging.

To our knowledge, Elio doesn’t specify why the title character wears an eye patch, although one possibility may be a condition known as amblyopia (or “lazy eye”), the most common cause of vision loss in young children. Amblyopia is highly treatable if caught early. It happens when the brain favors one eye over the other, leading to reduced vision in the weaker eye. Treatment usually involves patching the stronger eye to help the weaker one develop. Access to early diagnosis and treatment can create a positive impact on child development, learning, and long-term well-being. However, patching can be difficult for some children, so the opportunity to see themselves in a character like Elio can be a meaningful way to reinforce patching treatment for children who may not understand its importance.

That’s why Prevent Blindness, and our National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness, launched an educational and awareness-building initiative around Elio, including a dedicated landing page. It provides family-friendly resources that explain patching and amblyopia, as well as other childhood eye health issues such as refractive error or eye injuries that could lead to patching.

My Eyes offers a different cinematic entry point to increase awareness; in this case about hereditary eye conditions, rare diseases, and the often-overlooked experiences of individuals living with a disability. The child at the center of this film has a condition called retinitis pigmentosa (or RP). This is one of any number of conditions referred to as inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) that can lead to severe vision loss or blindness.

Early detection and management are crucial in treating IRDs, thus the film provides a platform to heighten awareness about the importance of access to care and continued investment in eye health research. It also engenders an opportunity for local communities, families, healthcare providers, public health workers, and advocates to come together and talk about how we can do better for kids and families. Prevent Blindness is proud to serve as a key US partner for the film’s screenings across the country.

Both Elio and My Eyes serve as reminders that healthcare policy must not overlook eyecare. That’s why we are also leveraging this moment to champion the Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act (HR 2527), or EDVI Act. If passed, this legislation will help ensure more children receive timely vision screenings, eye exams, and the follow-up treatment and care they need to thrive.

When we think about public health outreach, it’s easy to fall back on facts, figures, and data. But people connect with stories. And when those stories unfold on screen, they can promote learning, empathy, and hopefully, action. For those of us working in patient advocacy, these moments offer unique chances to amplify our own messaging and broaden public understanding.

Increased awareness can help us build a culture, supported by sound public policy, where access to eye care is seen as a vital part of a child’s development and wellbeing. And sometimes, all it takes to start that conversation is a kid in an eye patch on a cosmic adventure or a mother’s journey to protect her daughter’s sight.

Elio opens June 20 in theaters worldwide. My Eyes screens in limited release across the U.S. from June 16-30 (locations can be found here).

Co-published with Prevent Blindness and the National Health Council.

 Image credit: Gitonga Muthamaki