American Society Of Ocularists

What American Society Of Ocularists does

The American Society of Ocularists (ASO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional and educational organization founded in 1957 and headquartered in Placitas, New Mexico, serving 262 members across more than 12 countries. It is the principal U.S. professional society for ocularists — practitioners who fit, paint, and fabricate custom ocular prosthetics (artificial eyes) from acrylic polymers, with related offerings including orbital implants, scleral cover shells, and post-operative conformer fitting. The organization is governed by an elected Board of Directors, including a President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, Executive Director, and six Directors drawn from independent ocularistry practices across the U.S. and Canada, with two Medical Advisory Board Co-Chairs representing the physician community.

ASO monetizes through a diversified set of member- and education-related revenue streams: membership fees across seven categories (Apprentice, Associate, Diplomate, Allied BCO, BADO, Fellow, Honorary Member), bi-annual conference registration (Fall Annual with the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Spring Mid-Year Conference) with non-member pricing ranging from $945 (early-bird live) to $1,600 (online), College of Ocularistry tuition at $825/year plus $500 application fees and $70 per online course, and tax-deductible donations designated to operating, education, research, or standards committees. Its flagship educational product is the College of Ocularistry (established October 2017), which provides 750 credits of formal instruction and hands-on training as a structured Intern program feeding into National Examining Board of Ocularists (NEBO) certification and four-year recertification. Supporting products include the Journal of Ophthalmic Prosthetics (published since 1972), a searchable member directory, and Joint Scientific Sessions with the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

The go-to-market motion is principally community- and referral-driven: ASO recruits aspiring ocularists into the College, certifies practicing ocularists, and channels patient demand through the member directory while building physician referrals via the Medical Advisory Board and AAO co-located programming. Strategic partnerships span the American Academy of Ophthalmology (co-convening the Fall conference and joint scientific content), the National Examining Board of Ocularists (independent certification), and the Canadian Society of Ocularists (cross-border practitioner liaison). No technology platform, software product, or AI/ML capability is disclosed; the core technology remains traditional manual prosthetic craft, supported by standardized training, continuing education, and a long-running peer-reviewed journal.

Name

American Society Of Ocularists

Legal name

American Society of Ocularists

Website

https://ocularist.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The American Society of Ocularists is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional society founded in 1957, serving 262 ocularist members across 12+ countries with training, certification pathways, bi-annual conferences, and the Journal of Ophthalmic Prosthetics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Association Services

NAICS

Ophthalmic Goods Manufacturing (339115)

SIC

Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Devices (Frames, Lenses, Lens Edging/Finishing Equipment) (HLAHAJAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ophthalmic/Optometric Assisting (EDAOAJAK)

Keywords

• Ocular prosthetics fabrication
• Professional certification training
• Medical specialty association
• Anaplastology education
• Custom artificial eye services

Headquarters

HQ city

Placitas

HQ country

United States

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 Fees: ASO generates revenue through membership fees from its 262 members across 12+ countries. Membership categories include Apprentice, Associate, Diplomate, Allied BCO, BADO, Fellow, and Honorary Member.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Revenue from bi-annual conferences including the Fall Annual Conference (held with American Academy of Ophthalmology) and Spring Mid-Year Conference. Conference fees vary by membership status.
3. College of Ocularistry Tuition: Annual tuition of $825 per year for the College of Ocularistry, plus application fees of $500, conference registration fees, and online course fees of $70 per course.
4. Donations: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, ASO accepts tax-deductible donations. Donors can designate funds to general operating expenses, education committee, research committee, or standards committee.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The American Society of Ocularists is a non-profit professional association that supports ocularists — practitioners who design, fabricate, and fit custom ocular prosthetics (artificial eyes), scleral cover shells, and orbital implants for patients who have suffered eye loss or deformity. The organization provides member credentialing (Certified Ocularist), continuing education through the College of Ocularistry and annual conferences, professional standards, and a peer-reviewed journal for the ocularist profession.

Product overview

The American Society of Ocularists is a professional organization that supports its members in providing ocular prosthetic services. The core offering is custom-made ocular prosthetics (artificial eyes) that are fitted and fabricated to match patients' companion eyes. Supporting this are educational programs through the College of Ocularistry, bi-annual conferences, and the Journal of Ophthalmic Prosthetics. Members also provide orbital implants, post-operative conformer fitting, and scleral cover shells as part of comprehensive ocular prosthetic care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• College of Ocularistry (COO): A division of the American Society of Ocularists that provides formal education and training for ocularists through an Intern program with courses at semi-annual conferences.

Products and services

• ASO Professional Membership Annual membership for practicing and aspiring ocularists, providing affiliation with the national professional society, listing in the member directory, access to the Journal of Ophthalmic Prosthetics, and the pathway to Board Certified Ocularist (BCO) and Diplomate Ocularist (DO) credentials.
• College of Ocularistry Training Program Two-year training program providing didactic, distance-learning, and in-person clinical instruction preparing students for the Board Certified Ocularist credential. Includes academic oversight by a Dean of Academics and student services by a Dean of Students.
• ASO Annual Conference Annual continuing education and professional networking event for ocularists, featuring lectures, workshops, and exhibits on custom ocular prosthetic fabrication techniques. Open to members and prospective members.
• Journal of Ophthalmic Prosthetics Peer-reviewed professional journal publishing clinical and technical articles on ocular prosthetics, scleral cover shells, orbital implants, and the ocularist profession. Distributed to members and the broader ophthalmology community.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASO holds its Annual Fall Conference in conjunction with the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Includes a Joint Scientific Session facilitated by the Academy, jointly designed by the ASO Vice President and the Oculoplastic Chair. Lectures are 7-10 minutes in length and are by invitation with the Academy's approval.
• National Examining Board of Ocularists (NEBO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEBO is an independent entity that provides certification exams for ocularists. NEBO awards the title Board Certified Ocularist (BCO) through comprehensive two-part written and practical examinations. ASO training prepares candidates for NEBO certification and recertification every four years.
• Canadian Society of OcularistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASO maintains contact with Canadian members and with the Canadian Society of Ocularists to represent the ASO. Canadian Affairs Committee oversees this relationship.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-society-of-ocularists

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Society Of Ocularists