Ontario Association of Optometrists

What Ontario Association of Optometrists does

The Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) is a voluntary, not-for-profit professional association headquartered at 20 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, that has represented doctors of optometry in Ontario since 1909. Its core function is representational and educational: OAO advocates with the Ontario government (notably at Queen's Park) for expanded scope of practice for optometrists, while providing member optometrists with continuing education, practice resources, regional visits, and professional networking. Public-facing programs include the Eye See…Eye Learn® initiative (free OHIP-covered eye exams and glasses for kindergarten children), the Find an Eye Doctor directory, and the Eye Health Library.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through recurring annual membership dues paid by Ontario optometrists; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Member touchpoints include a password-protected member portal (member.optom.on.ca), a Vocalmeet-hosted eLearning platform, an annual OAO Symposium, webinars, and a Job & Ad Board. Additional revenue is solicited through exhibitor and sponsorship partnerships at events. Customer segments split between (1) optometrists/members (primary), (2) Ontario residents/patients (public-facing education and provider directory), and (3) industry partners seeking access to the optometrist audience.

Governance is run by an elected Board of Directors led by President Dr. Shaina Nensi, Vice President Dr. Virginia Donati, and Treasurer Dr. Pasquale Vecchio, with operational management headed by CEO Mark Donnison. The organization operates within a single geography (Ontario) with no parent company, subsidiaries, or external investment; it has no disclosed funding rounds and no parent firm ownership.

Name

Ontario Association of Optometrists

Legal name

Ontario Association of Optometrists

Website

https://optom.on.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Ontario Association of Optometrists is a voluntary, not-for-profit professional association, founded in 1909 and headquartered in Toronto, that represents doctors of optometry in Ontario through government advocacy, professional development, member services, and public eye-health education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Healthcare Association

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Offices of Other Health Practitioners (6213)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Optometry advocacy
• Continuing education optometry
• Eye health programs
• Membership association

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: OAO generates revenue through annual membership dues paid by optometrists in Ontario. These dues fund advocacy, member services, professional development, and public education programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO) is a voluntary, not-for-profit professional association that represents doctors of optometry in Ontario. It delivers advocacy with the provincial government, member services (member portal, eLearning platform, annual Symposium, webinars), practice resources, and public-facing eye health tools including the Eye Health Library, Find an Eye Doctor directory, and the Eye See Eye Learn program for kindergarten children.

Product overview

The Ontario Association of Optometrists operates as a professional membership organization offering a unified suite of member services and public-facing resources. The core offerings include: the Eye Health Library (public educational resource on eye conditions and preventive care), the Find an Eye Doctor directory (patient-facing optometrist locator), and the Eye See...Eye Learn® program (public health initiative providing free eye exams and glasses to kindergarten children). For members, OAO provides the Member Portal (exclusive access to resources and benefits), an eLearning Platform (professional development), OAO Symposium (annual conference), Webinars (online education), and a Job & Ad Board (career listings). The organization also advocates for policies protecting vision care and promotes eye health across Ontario through campaigns like 'Every Eye Tells a Story.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eye See Eye Learn: Program providing Ontario kindergarten children with free OHIP-covered eye exams and glasses
• OAO Symposium

Products and services

• Eye Health Library Comprehensive online resource providing reliable information on vision, eye conditions, diseases, treatments, and preventive care to help protect sight throughout life, available to the general public.
• Find an Eye Doctor Directory tool helping Ontarians locate licensed optometrists across Ontario, making it easy to book exams and access trusted vision care.
• Eye See…Eye Learn® Public health program providing Ontario kindergarten children with free OHIP-covered eye exams and glasses, helping them see clearly and learn confidently.
• OAO Membership Annual professional membership for Ontario optometrists providing access to advocacy, professional development, exclusive resources, communications, and member benefits through the member portal.
• eLearning Platform Online learning platform providing continuing education and professional development resources for optometrists.
• OAO Symposium Annual professional conference and educational event for optometrists featuring presentations, networking, and professional development opportunities.
• Webinars Online webinar programming providing continuing education and professional development for optometrists, available through the e-commerce platform.
• Job & Ad Board Online job board and classified advertising section for career opportunities within the optometry field.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ontario GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOAO advocates with the Ontario government at Queen's Park for expanded scope of practice for optometrists and reduced pressure on emergency rooms. The association brings members to advocate for policies that protect vision care and improve healthcare access.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Canadian Association of Optometrists: The national professional association for optometrists in Canada, operating as a parallel membership body to OAO but at the federal level. Directly comparable in mandate (advocacy, CE, public awareness) and overlapping membership.
• Alberta Association of Optometrists: Provincial professional association for optometrists in Alberta, providing the same mix of advocacy, member services, and public education as OAO in Ontario. Closest functional peer in another Canadian province.
• British Columbia Association of Optometrists: Provincial optometry association in British Columbia representing member optometrists through advocacy, professional development, and public awareness. Operates with a near-identical mandate to OAO.

Broad incumbents

• College of Optometrists of Ontario: Statutory regulatory body governing optometry practice in Ontario. While not a membership association, it sits in the same professional ecosystem as OAO and competes for relevance around standards, scope, and member engagement.
• American Optometric Association: The largest professional association for optometrists in the United States, with a comparable advocacy, education, and public-awareness mandate at national scale. Functions as a structural analog to OAO in a larger market.
• Ontario Medical Association: Provincial professional association representing physicians in Ontario. Comparable in operating model (membership-based, advocacy with Queen's Park, member services, public campaigns) but for a much larger profession.
• Ontario Dental Association: Provincial professional association for Ontario dentists with a similar advocacy, continuing education, and member-services model. Comparable as a peer healthcare professional association in the same province.

Regional players

• Association des optométristes du Québec: Provincial optometry association serving Quebec, the largest non-Ontario Canadian market. Operates the same professional association model as OAO in a different provincial jurisdiction.
• Saskatchewan Association of Optometrists: Provincial optometry association in Saskatchewan with a similar advocacy and member-services mandate to OAO, operating in a smaller provincial market.
• Optometry Australia: National professional association for optometrists in Australia, comparable to OAO in mandate and structure but operating in a different geography and healthcare system.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ONOptometrists
• YouTubeyoutube.com/OntarioOptometrists
• Facebookfacebook.com/OntarioOptometrists
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/onoptometrists
• Instagraminstagram.com/ontariooptometrists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ontario Association of Optometrists