PolyU visual rehabilitation programme receives donation from Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation, joining hands to benefit visually impaired individuals and promote social inclusion

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has received a generous donation from the Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation to launch the PolyU–Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation “i.m.VisionCare” programme. A four-year initiative led by the PolyU School of Optometry, it brings together an interdisciplinary team of visual rehabilitation specialists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, counsellors and social workers. Utilising artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the team will provide personalised visual rehabilitation training and support for people with visual impairments and their families. The programme is projected to benefit over 1,000 visually impaired individuals and 2,000 caregivers, while also training around 800 future healthcare and social work professionals. It will additionally drive interdisciplinary innovative research, fostering the long-term sustainable development of visual rehabilitation services in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.

The donation ceremony was held yesterday at the Wong Man and Tang Kit Wah Global Student Hub on the PolyU campus. It was officiated by Dr LAM Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman; Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President; Mrs Winnie KANG, Commissioner for Rehabilitation of the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China; Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation); Dr Philip WU, Secretary of the Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation; and Governors of the Foundation Ms Tansy LAU; and Mr Victor CHAN. The event was also graced by the presence of distinguished guests from PolyU and the healthcare sector.

Prof. Jin-Guang Teng expressed his gratitude to the Foundation for its continued trust in and support of PolyU, stating, “As an innovative world-class university, PolyU has always pursued excellence in education, research and knowledge transfer. The University fully supports this meaningful initiative and has allocated dedicated teaching and research spaces equipped with advanced facilities and resources. We hope the programme will serve as a platform to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge transfer and innovation, enabling the translation of research outcomes to better serve and benefit society. Through this initiative, we aim to establish a sustainable healthcare service model that can be extended across Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, thereby benefiting more patients and their families.”

Mrs Winnie Kang said, “The HKSAR government has been consistently allocating additional resources to support persons with disabilities over the years.  We thank the Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation for its donation to support this meaningful project of PolyU, which provides support for visually impaired patients through advanced technologies.  We also look forward to close collaboration with all sectors to build a diverse and inclusive society together.”

Ms Tansy Lau said, “PolyU has a long-standing reputation for academic excellence, nurturing talent and community service, with its School of Optometry serving as a cradle for nurturing outstanding optometry professionals. We hope that, through this donation, we can make a modest contribution towards advancing the development of visual rehabilitation.”

Prof. Allen Cheong, Associate Head (Academic Programmes and Clinical Training) of the PolyU School of Optometry and i.m.VisionCare Programme Leader, said, “We are honoured to receive support from the Wu Jieh Yee Charitable Foundation, which enables our team to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation and sustainable visual rehabilitation services. Our interdisciplinary team provides each patient with personalised rehabilitation services tailored to their unique needs, ensuring optimal outcomes. The programme also offers necessary interventions and training for visually impaired individuals, empowering them to lead their daily lives with confidence and independence.”

“i.m.VisionCare” promotes AI-driven personalised treatment solutions and innovative clinical research to improve the quality of life and self-care capabilities of people with visual impairments. This will help alleviate the caregiving burden on families, establish a scalable and sustainable rehabilitation service model that will, in the long term, reduce pressures on Hong Kong’s healthcare system and promote social inclusion. Moving forward, PolyU will continue to collaborate with various sectors of society to advance the translation of research outcomes, further strengthening Hong Kong’s leading position in visual rehabilitation.

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