United Opticians Association

11/01/2026

November is Career Development Month, and UOA has one question for opticians about the work you do.

People who fit and dispense eyewear or contact lenses go by many titles such as optician, optical associate, and eyewear specialist. When the same work carries different titles, it becomes harder to accurately count the workforce and demonstrate its size and impact to policymakers.

Tell us what the role is called where you work. Your answer helps UOA bring clearer workforce information into conversations with policymakers, and it takes less than a minute.

Answer the survey: https://form.jotform.com/UnitedOpticiansAssoc/optician-job-title-survey

10/30/2026

Welcome to UOA, Opticians Association of Ohio!

Opticians in Ohio now have a seat in the national conversation about the profession, and the Opticians Association of Ohio keeps its own identity while it takes part. Members gain a legislative advocacy platform that tracks state and federal policy, co-branded marketing support, review course grants, event discounts, and access to industry roundtables.

If your state association is a UOA member, you’re a part of the UOA community too! Reach out to your association to learn how to get involved.

💬 Know an optician in Ohio? Tag them so they can connect with the Opticians Association of Ohio and the wider UOA community.

Learn about state association membership: https://www.opticians.org/membership

10/29/2026

Thank you to UOA board member George Bourque, ABOM, NCLE, LDO for representing UOA at the Opticians Association Of Rhode Island - OARI Fall Conference. State associations are a vital part of the UOA community, and we're proud to stand alongside our Rhode Island colleagues as we work together to support opticians at the state and national level.

10/29/2026

For nearly a decade, Rhode Island has lacked a direct in-state pathway for aspiring opticians to earn their license.

Eliza Zimmermann, ABOC, a UOA Government Affairs Committee member and president-elect of the Opticians Association Of Rhode Island - OARI, helped lead the multiyear effort to create the state’s new optician apprenticeship program. In Women In Optometry, she shares how the gap affected Rhode Island’s workforce, what it took to get the bill signed, and why the work was personal for her.

Read Eliza’s story: https://www.womeninoptometry.com/opticians/article/how-rhode-island-is-rebuilding-its-optician-pipeline/

For the first time in a decade, opticians in Rhode Island will have a navigable way to become licensed, thanks to the effort of many.

10/29/2026

Missed our latest episode? We've got you covered. We sat down with Roy Rosales, product specialist at MEI Systems, to talk about what goes into bringing lens edging in-house, and why he thinks the decision is a lot less scary than most opticians assume.

Swipe through for the top takeaways you can apply in your practice today.

Listen to the full conversation: opticians.org/missionoptician

10/28/2026

UOA is proud to work alongside ACU to expand access to vision care. Join their free webinar this Friday, Oct. 30, from 3-4 PM ET.

Only 3% of community health center (CHC) patients can access vision care each year, and CHCs face countless obstacles to standing up these services. Learn what initiatives are underway to help address this and hear a call to action to build a coalition to drive system-level change in our webinar with Vision 2020 USA on Oct. 30 at 3-4 p.m. ET.

This session with ACU Senior Program Director Luke Ertle, MPH, will spotlight findings from a recent landscape analysis conducted with the support of the Lavelle Fund For The Blind to identify existing resources and infrastructure to advance this, as well as strategies to unite them to help CHCs overcome challenges to offering eye health and vision care.

➡️ Learn more and join on the day of the webinar: ow.ly/eWKK50ZZMOx

10/28/2026

Welcome to UOA, New York State Society of Opticians.

Opticians in New York now have a seat in the national conversation about the profession, and the New York State Society of Opticians keeps its own identity while it takes part. Members gain a legislative advocacy platform that tracks state and federal policy, co-branded marketing support, review course grants, event discounts, and access to industry roundtables.

If your state association is a UOA member, you’re a part of the UOA community too! Reach out to your association to learn how to get involved.

💬 Know an optician in New York? Tag them so they can connect with the New York State Society of Opticians and the wider UOA community.

Learn about state association membership: https://www.opticians.org/membership

10/27/2026

What does it take to bring lens finishing in-house, and does it make sense for your optical practice?

Roy Rosales, product specialist at MEI System, breaks down what opticians need to consider before making the move in conversation with Bob Alexander, director of education at United Opticians Association.

Roy walks through the realities of maintaining lens stock and evaluating your patient demographics, as well as thinking through the equipment and infrastructure an in-office finishing setup requires.

He explains why understanding ophthalmic optics is critical, because it still comes down to the optician to determine whether a particular lens material, prescription, or frame design makes sense for the patient.

Plus, hear how modern edging technology has moved beyond traditional grinding and water-intensive processes.

In this episode, you will learn:

✅ What to consider before bringing lens finishing in-house, including lens stock, patient demographics, ROI, and equipment requirements
✅Why a strong knowledge of lens materials, prescriptions, and ophthalmic optics can expand what an optician can do with in-office edging
✅ Which types of lenses may require different equipment or a specialty lab rather than an in-office edger

This episode is brought to you by MEI System: https://meisystem.com/

10/23/2026

Welcome to UOA, Professional Opticians of Florida!

Opticians in Florida now have a seat in the national conversation about the profession, and Professional Opticians of Florida keeps its own identity while it takes part. Members gain a legislative advocacy platform that tracks state and federal policy, co-branded marketing support, review course grants, event discounts, and access to industry roundtables.

If your state association is a UOA member, you’re a part of the UOA community too! Reach out to your association to learn how to get involved.

Is your state association ready to join? Learn more: https://www.opticians.org/membership

10/22/2026

October is Contact Lens Safety Month, and good lens care starts with clear instruction from contact lens technicians and opticians!

Those who fit contact lenses can demonstrate their knowledge through NCLE certification, which they earn by passing the Contact Lens Registry Exam (CLRE), the national exam for contact lens technicians. It is administered through the American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners.

Regulations for contact lens work vary by state, and licensure sets the legal requirements where it exists. Certification shows a defined standard of knowledge and skill that stays with opticians and technicians across state lines, and continuing education keeps both current.

If you hold the NCLE credential, tell us in the comments why you chose to earn it and keep it.

Learn more about the CLRE and the path to certification at abo-ncle.org.