The Vision Council Foundation, AccuWeather® and The Skin Cancer Foundation are collaborating in advance of National Sunglasses Day, celebrated each year on June 27.
For the first time, these three organizations are uniting to deliver a unified, comprehensive UV protection message:
Safeguarding yourself from the sun requires protecting your eyes with UV-blocking sunglasses, protecting your skin with clothing, hats and broad-spectrum sunscreen and staying informed with AccuWeather’s exclusive hour-by-hour UV Index, every single day.
Despite widespread awareness of sun safety, dangerous gaps in protection persist. According to The Vision Council‘s 2025 Market inSights with 2026 Forecast report, more than 37% of American adults do not regularly wear sunglasses, leaving their eyes vulnerable to UV-related conditions including cataracts, macular degeneration, photokeratitis and cancers of the eye and eyelid.
At the same time, The Skin Cancer Foundation reports that skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., with UV radiation as its leading cause. Studies show that many Americans still do not apply sunscreen as part of their daily routine. UV damage to both the eyes and skin is cumulative and irreversible, making consistent, informed protection essential regardless of season, geography or cloud cover.
This partnership brings together each organization’s unique expertise and trusted audience reach to close those gaps and empower the public with actionable, easy-to-follow guidance:
- The Vision Council Foundation champions UV-protective eyewear as a daily wellness essential, providing public education resources and support across the optical industry through the National Sunglasses Day campaign.
- The Skin Cancer Foundation provides the public with evidence-based guidance on sun protection — including daily sunscreen use, sun-protective clothing and accessories — and early skin cancer detection.
- AccuWeather is the most trusted source of weather forecasts and warnings with proven Superior Accuracy™ delivering hour-by-hour UV forecasts and brightness information through its freely available UV Index and first-of-its-kind AccuLumen Brightness Index™, helping them make the best weather impacted decisions for their health, safety and comfort.
HEAR FROM THE TEAM
“Protecting yourself from the sun isn’t a single habit, but a complete routine” said Ashley Mills, CEO of The Vision Council and The Vision Council Foundation. “When you walk out the door, you should be reaching for your sunglasses and your sunscreen, and you should know what the UV Index looks like that day. By bringing together three organizations that each own a critical piece of that message, we can finally give the public the full picture.”
“AccuWeather is committed to helping people make the best weather-impacted decisions to protect their health and well-being every hour of every day,” said Jonathan Porter, Senior Vice President, Weather Content and Forecast Operations and Chief Meteorologist at AccuWeather. “AccuWeather’s freely available UV Index provides UV forecasts with the greatest accuracy and more detail available from any source. This highly localized index provides enhanced protection from excessive UV exposure by allowing users to track their UV exposure hour-by-hour, down to the tenths of a unit and is already reaching millions of people worldwide. Our collaboration with The Vision Council Foundation and The Skin Cancer Foundation enables us to turn critical data into meaningful action.”
“In nearly 90% of cases, skin cancer is preventable with a complete sun protection strategy, which includes UV protective sunglasses,” said Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD, President of The Skin Cancer Foundation. “We so appreciate this opportunity to work with our partners at AccuWeather and The Vision Council Foundation to help the public understand that the sun does not discriminate. UV radiation from the sun causes photodamage to your skin, including the delicate skin around your eyes, every day. We proudly stand alongside these organizations to drive this message home on National Sunglasses Day and every day.”
AccuWeather’s UV Index is a trusted resource for both The Vision Council Foundation and The Skin Cancer Foundation, each of which features the UV index from AccuWeather on their respective websites to help visitors make informed, hour-by-hour sun protection decisions.
Together, the three organizations will coordinate across digital and social platforms leading up to and on June 27, sharing UV safety education, protective tips and campaign content encouraging the public to celebrate #NationalSunglassesDay.
The Vision Council Foundation’s free 2026 National Sunglasses Day toolkits, available now at thevisioncouncilfoundation.
