Dated: October 19, 2025

Regarding: The intellectual property, content, and operational integrity of the professional community and business known as “The Eye Care Advocate.”

I. Preamble

This document serves as a formal and binding declaration by me, Jason Searle, founder of “The Eye Care Advocate.” Its purpose is to assert the originality of my work and to define the clear ethical boundaries established in the operation of my private business, particularly in relation to my professional employment engagements.

II. Declaration of Originality and Intellectual Property

I, Jason Searle, hereby declare that all content, materials, courses, and assets—including but not limited to videos, articles, case studies, illustrations (PNGs), and interactive modules—created for “The Eye Care Advocate” community are the product of my own original work, extensive personal labour, and professional expertise, undertaken during my own personal time.

I further declare that all such work has been created using my own personal equipment, software, and resources. At no point have any assets, resources, confidential information, or intellectual property belonging to any employer, including roles within university settings, ophthalmology clinics or as my time engaged as a locum optometrist, been used in the creation, development, or operation of this business. The exception to this is clinical images that have been allowed to be used through explicit consent of both patient and engaging practice.

III. Sourcing of Content and Ideas

I declare that the conceptual basis for all content within “The Eye Care Advocate” is legitimately and ethically sourced from:

• My 17 years of personal experience in eye care as an ophthalmic science practitioner, clinical optometrist and educator.

• Direct questions, common themes, and identified areas of concern raised by my public-facing professional community on platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram.

• Gaps in knowledge and support that I have personally identified within the early-career journey of optometry professionals.

• Publicly available information and my general, cumulative professional knowledge.

IV. Declaration of Contribution to Employer

I also note for the record that my professional contributions to my employers have frequently and consistently gone beyond the specified terms of my contracted employment. I have often, in the spirit of supporting students and the profession, generously shared my own personal intellectual property, resources, and time with no expectation of additional remuneration or recognition.

V. Disclaimer of Influence and Guarantee

I formally declare that I will not actively promote “The Eye Care Advocate” during my contracted hours of employment with any institution. However, as the creator of my own intellectual property, I reserve the right to utilise my original educational materials and assets (which may also feature within ‘The Eye Care Advocate’ community) to enhance my teaching and supervision activities in my professional roles, where I deem it educationally beneficial for students and trainees.

It must be explicitly understood by all members that participation in “The Eye Care Advocate” community does not, under any circumstances, guarantee academic success, examination passes, or any form of favourable outcome in assessments or professional evaluations. For members who are also my students or trainees in an official capacity, their engagement with “The Eye Care Advocate” will have no bearing, positive or negative, on their formal assessment outcomes. All official evaluations will be conducted with strict impartiality and based solely on the established academic and professional standards of the relevant institution.

This declaration is a true and accurate statement.

Signed,

Jason Searle