The Economic Effect On Optometry In New York City After September 11, 2001.

September 11, 2002 was undoubtedly the day the world changed forever. Nobody could have ever predicted the unthinkable act of terror that occurred that unforgettable morning when two planes crashed into the World Trade Center. As the nation watched, we were all paralyzed by the devastation that had occurred when the two towers collapsed. Personal security seemed unpredictable since no one knew if this was part of an even larger terrorism plan. New Yorkers felt the most vulnerable losing thousands of lives of their own in the attack. The city was in a complete state of panic as almost everyone had some sort of connection to someone who died. The world just seemed to stop for a few days. People stayed home from work and businesses closed, as people were afraid of what would happen next. Optometry is a very unique healthcare profession since much of its income depends on eyeglass and contact lens sales. Therefore, it is somewhat of a consumer driven enterprise as well as a need based field. This project attempted to reveal how the economy in New York City after September 11 impacted the field of optometry.