A question...

[Judy Canty]

Doing a little online research and one link was to the Wiki page for Optician. I am a bit confused. Did I lose my credentials by not being certified by the SAO?

While I appreciate the work your group is trying to accomplish, this particular page is very misleading to the general public. One needs to read to the very bottom of the page, past the entries for Canada, the UK and Ghana to find that there are some states in the US that license Opticians, with only a single reference to one state.

If your stated goal is to unify, educate and promote professional Opticianry, wouldn't a listing of the states that require a license to practice be advantageous?

[SharonB]

+ 1000

[wmcdonald]

Judy,
SAO does not certify anyone. The organization recognizes those who have achieved a basic level of formal education. When I developed the idea on this very board, we wanted to work with other groups (OAA and NAO) to specifically recognize people annually who have met the qualification established by the board. Many were concerned that we were starting a new, separate organization, and what we initially wanted to accomplish was to single the folks out who went through the formal education process to allow them well-deserved recognition. It was never intended to be a membership organization. Much of this summit idea came from the SAO materials. I am not sure what you are talking about, but would love to know specifics.

[Judy Canty]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optician

Paragraph 4.

A fully credentialed optician in the United States is known as an ophthalmic optician and is credentialed by the (SAO) Society to Advance Opticianry. To achieve this nationally registered title an optician must achieve a combination of a college education, American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners advanced certifications, plus maintain their state license when applicable.

[wmcdonald]

I saw it, Judy. It does need to be edited a bit, and I am sure folks will see it and make the statement clearer. Sorry if it made you and Sharon uncomfortable. Anyone can edit, so feel free to improve it as you see fit. In the past the definition of Optician on this page was very poor and some in SAO made a huge improvement. I also think a well-qualified Optician is more than a mere technician, and would like to see the "technical professional" term rephrased. Have a good Memorial Day!