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For more information:
Prevent Blindness
Whitney Anderson
Phone: (800) 301-2020 ext. 105
E-mail address: [email protected]
Parents Can Help Start a Successful School Year With Healthy Vision for Kids
Prevent Blindness Declares August as Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month to Educate Public on the Importance of
Healthy Vision for Kids
Columbus, OH (July 25, 2016) – The first day of school is quickly approaching and a key part of academic success starts with healthy eyesight. Prevent Blindness Ohio encourages parents to add “get my child’s eyes checked” to their back-to-school list of things to do.
Prevent Blindness has declared August as Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness month to inspire parents to make their child’s vision health a priority.
According to data from the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) report, “Children’s Vision and Eye Health: A Snapshot of Current National Issues,” visual functioning is a strong predictor of academic performance in school-age children. In addition, uncorrected refractive errors in infants and preschool-age children are associated with developmental delays, as well as with clinically identified deficits in cognitive and visual-motor functions that may in turn affect school readiness. Vision problems can be treated successfully if detected early. Vision screenings along with complete eye examinations are two critical ways to identify possible vision problems and get children connected to treament.
Unfortunately for many families, cost and access to eye care is a limiting issue. The Affordable Care Act mandates that all plans in the Health Insurance Marketplace include vision coverage for children. In most states including Ohio, that includes one comprehensive eye exam and one pair of eyeglasses. Prevent Blindness offers additional information and a free fact sheet, “The Affordable Care Act and Your Child’s Eyes in Ohio.” Or, visit the Prevent Blindness Vision Care Outreach Program resource.
Vision requirements for school enrollment vary by state. The Children’s Vision and Eye Health report also includes information about state legislation for vision screening and/or mandated eye exams.
“Keeping children’s eyes healthy has been part of our organization’s mission for more than 100 years,” said Sherry, Williams, President & CEO of the Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness. “Our goal is to provide parents and teachers with the tools and information they need to help ensure the vision health of our kids today and well into their future.”
To support children’s vision programs, OCuSOFT ® Inc., a privately-held eye and skin care company dedicated to innovation in eyelid hygiene and ocular health, has agreed to donate 10 percent of all online sales to Prevent Blindness during August’s Children’s Eye Health and Safety Awareness Month.
For more information on children’s eye health and safety, the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health, or eye care assistance programs, please call Prevent Blindness at (800) 301-2020, visit www.pbohio.org.
About Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness is the nation’s leading volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight. The Ohio Affiliate of Prevent Blindness is Ohio’s leading volunteer nonprofit public health organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight. We serve all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to more than 800,000 Ohioans annually and educating millions of consumers about what they can do to protect and preserve their precious gift of sight. For more information or to make a contribution, call 800-301-2020. Or, visit us on the web at www.pbohio.org or facebook.com/pbohio.
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