FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information:
Dori Jennings
Prevent Blindness Ohio
614.270.0746
[email protected]
Prevent Blindness Ohio Thanks Governor DeWine
Columbus, OH (April 10, 2024) – Prevent Blindness Ohio (PBO) thanks Governor DeWine for establishing the Children’s Vision Strike Force, which he states is to work with vision care professionals to ensure children who need glasses will have access to them.
80% of what a child learns is through their gift of sight, yet 6% children enter kindergarten each year with an undetected and untreated vision problem, and one out of every four school-aged children has a vision problem that may be undetected or untreated. These vision problems hinder their opportunity to enter school “ready to learn.” Children cannot do their best if poor vision is a roadblock to learning and socialization. Educational success is critical in setting the foundation for a strong workforce in the future.
Children under the age of six who do not receive proper and regular vision screening and eye examinations are at risk of facing a lifetime of vision loss due to several common and correctable visual difficulties. Amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (crossed eyes), if not detected and treated early enough, can cause loss of vision. If these conditions are detected and treated before the age of six, their blinding effects can be reversed. If found too late, little effective treatment is available and the child is faced with living his/her life with only one good eye (monocular vision).
Governor DeWine has been committed to improving the lives of children throughout his time as governor and creating the Children’s Vision Strike Force will have a positive impact on ensuring the vision care needs of children are met and that all children in Ohio will be able to see clearly. “PBO stands ready to assist in the important work of the Children’s Vision Strike Force,” says Amy Pulles, President and CEO of PBO. “Through PBO’s Vision Care Outreach Program, we provide access to free eye exams and glasses to 1,000 uninsured/underinsured children each year and nearly 300,000 children each year receive a vision screening from a Prevent Blindness Ohio certified vision screener.”
About Prevent Blindness Ohio
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 serves all 88 Ohio counties, providing direct services to 1,000,000 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 contribute, call 800-301-2020 or donate here. Visit us at pbohio.org. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/pbohio/ and X: twitter.com/PB_Ohio
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