The art and science of paediatric vision
Celebrating World Orthoptic Day with Hazel Kay’s story
On 1 June the global eye care community celebrated World Orthoptic Day – a time to recognise the unique expertise of orthoptists in diagnosing and managing vision anomalies. At Kay Pictures, this day holds a particularly special place in our hearts. Our entire company was born out of the creativity, clinical insight and passion of an orthoptist.
To mark the occasion, we are looking back at how a simple student project in 1979 transformed paediatric vision testing and how that legacy of clinical creativity continues today.
Born in the clinic: the origin of Kay Pictures
Every orthoptist understands the unique challenge of paediatric assessment: you cannot test a child’s vision if you cannot capture their attention.
Back in 1979, our founder, Hazel Kay, was navigating her student orthoptic training. Like many of her peers at the time, Hazel was crafting her own DIY fixation tools – gluing paper cartoon pictures onto wooden tongue depressors. However, she quickly recognised two major flaws: they weren’t hygienic enough for a clinical environment and the makeshift illustrations weren’t engaging enough for young patients.
Driven by a desire to improve the clinical experience for both the practitioner and the child, Hazel began hand-drawing her own bespoke illustrations. A few years later, these very drawings were screen-printed onto durable, wipe-clean plastic, creating the very first official Kay Pictures Fixation Sticks.
Bridging heritage with modern clinical excellence
Today, Kay Pictures has grown from those early hand-drawn sketches into a global staple within paediatric ophthalmology and orthoptics. While our product range has expanded to include gold-standard, validated acuity testing systems, our core philosophy remains unchanged: vision testing should be accurate, reliable and stress-free for children. We know that orthoptists are a wonderfully resourceful and creative community. That is why we love hearing stories from clinicians who still use our tools to bring a touch of magic into their testing rooms.
Keeping the tradition alive: empowering the next generation
Innovation doesn’t mean forgetting your roots. While we offer a wide range of professionally printed target sticks, we also love fostering the exact same DIY spirit that inspired Hazel over four decades ago.
We continue to supply Plain Fixation Sticks specifically for clinicians and students who want to channel their inner innovator. Whether you prefer to create custom characters tailored to your specific patient demographics, or simply enjoy the craft of building your own clinical toolkit, we are proud to support the hands-on creativity of the orthoptic profession.
Join the celebration
We want to spotlight the incredible work and creativity of orthoptists worldwide. Do you customise your own Kay Pictures plain fixation sticks? Do you have a go-to character or design that never fails to get a smile from an anxious young patient?
Connect with us on our social media channels to share your designs and celebrate the perfect blend of art and science that defines orthoptics.
To explore our full range of paediatric vision testing solutions, or to order a pack of Plain Fixation Sticks for your clinic, visit our online shop today.
