- Menu
The unique and mutual benefits from a formal relationship with Retina International (RI) are the result of 42 years of sharing knowledge and resources. Becoming a member is a unique opportunity to share in our knowledge, experience, support services and blindness-related networks.
As a member of Retina International, your organisation has access to up-to-the-minute information in scientific or clinical research, fundraising, advocacy, peer support, rehabilitation and a range of others, via our conferences and newsletters. The collective knowledge of such work can only be easily shared through the existence of an organisation dedicated to international cooperation and collaboration.
Endorsement via our membership qualification criteria and use of our logo are just some of the ways we deliver support to our members. We coordinate World Retina Day, provide internationally-agreed Scientific and Medical Advice, represent the voice of patients living with vision loss at multi-national organization level (EPF, EURORDIS, IAPO, EURETINA, ARVO etc) and add our weight to all endeavours consistent with our vision and mission.
Some appreciation of the extent of Retina International’s network can be gained through this website. This network, however, is as strong as the collective resources and commitment of our member organisations. Ultimately, it is the collective efforts of these national societies that will determine our progression towards achieving our mission; “to facilitate urgently the development, and ensure the world-wide availability and accessibility, of proven treatments and cures for Retinitis Pigmentosa, Macular Degeneration, Usher Syndrome, and allied retinal dystrophies”.
Types of Retina International Membership
Full Members are the core of the RI network. They are established, patient-led organisations that fully meet all eligibility criteria and hold complete membership rights, including the right to vote at the Annual General Meeting.
Eligibility requirements – an organisation must:
- Be a registered charity with a constitution (or be a sub-group of a larger organisation with a constitution, such as a society for the blind)
- Have purposes that align with Retina International’s objectives
- Be a society for people living with retinal dystrophies, including: inherited retinal dystrophies (IRD), other inherited and age-related retinal dystrophies, and/or Diabetes-related Eye Disease (DED).
- Include families and friends of affected individuals in its activities.
- Have access to sound scientific and medical advice.
- Have a Scientific and Medical Advisory Board (SMAB) or committee that has been constituted and approved by the Retina International SMAB.
- Be able to provide up-to-date audited accounts to the Retina International Board of Directors.
Note: A Full Member may be a stand-alone organisation or a sub-group of an organisation. In the latter case, it must provide proof of independent activities and accept all people with retinal degenerative diseases, irrespective of their stage of visual impairment. Membership should also be extended to parents/guardians of minor children with retinal conditions.
Candidate Membership provides a pathway into the RI network for organisations that are working toward full membership but are not yet eligible.
Who qualifies?
A Candidate Member is a society which has stated an intention to apply for full membership in the future, or which has already applied for full membership, but either:
- Is not yet in a position to meet all criteria for full membership (in the opinion of the Annual General Meeting (hereby referred to as AGM), or
- Is a first-time applicant who apparently meets all criteria, in which case it must serve as a Candidate Member for two years before applying for full membership
Key features
- No voting rights at the AGM (but can attend and observe)
- Acts as a probationary pathway toward Full Membership
Associated Membership is for companies, scientific institutes, learned societies and funding organisations that promote, fund or conduct research into retinal dystrophies, and that cannot fulfil the criteria of the other membership categories.
Who qualifies?
- Companies, scientific institutes, learned societies and funding organisations
- Organisations that promote, fund or conduct research into retinal dystrophies
- Organisations not enrolled in Retina International through any other membership channel
Key features
- No voting rights
- May attend the AGM only by special invitation of the Board of Directors
- May hold a seat on the RI SMAB (at the request of the Board of Directors)
- Applications must be approved or rejected at the AGM
- Must pay annual membership fees
Interested Groups are organisations that are in the process of being organised but will never meet the criteria for full membership of Retina International.
Who qualifies?
- Organisations that are still forming or developing
- Organisations that do not have a separate retinal dystrophy sub-group
- Organisations that are not patient-led and therefore could not apply for full membership in their own right
How To Apply For Membership
Organisations wishing to apply for Membership shall apply in writing to RI by providing the following information:
- A letter stating that they wish to join RI and that they accept to be bound by the provisions of the constitution and the business rules;
- their legal status with a certified copy of their constitutional documents, including:
- their permanent address including their phone number, e-mail and any other relevant details (e.g. foreign languages spoken, office hours);
- The estimated number of member or member organisations registered in their organisation;
- A statement that they accept to pay the membership fees allocated;
- A copy of their latest (audited) accounts.
To learn more about RI membership, click here to download our Membership Information Booklet.
Contact
If you are interested in becoming a member of RI, contact us at membership@retina-international.org or reach out to our Membership Engagement Coordinator, Navya Dhir, at navya.dhir@retina-international.org.