Students

Two million children in the U.S.  do not have the glasses they need to see the board, read a book, or participate in class.  Eye exams and glasses for children are very important to insure a child’s eyes are healthy and have no vision problems that could interfere with school performance and potentially affect a child’s safety.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vision impairment is one of the most prevalent disabling conditions among children in the US and yet 35% of children have never seen an eye care professional.  Research indicates that 25% of school age children have vision impairment.  Nearsightedness, or myopia, is the most common refractive error of the eye, and it has become widespread in recent years.  With early detection, it is estimated that upwards of 80% of all vision impairment can be prevented or cured.  However, detection is often limited by basic access to services, as research from the Campaign for Educational Equity reports that low income youth are at a greater risk of unrecognized and untreated vision problems and have a higher rate of unmet needs for vision care services.

While many US school districts provide vision screenings for children every other year in grades K-10, schools struggle to fulfill this mandate, and even when they do, many children do not receive the follow-up care they need.  The National Commission on Vision & Health reports that 24% of parents do not follow up for full vision exams for their children due to lack of financial resources.  One of the most common reasons parents give for not taking children to the eye doctor is cost of care.  Besides expense, poor and low-income families often face additional barriers to accessing vision care for their children, including limited transportation and the inability to take time off from work—barriers that leave a vulnerable student population with undiagnosed and unaddressed vision problems