Eighty percent of all visual impairment can be prevented or cured. The first step to prevention is awareness. The second step is early detection through vision screening. Early identification leads to a timely referral, professional treatment, and improved or restored sight. Pediatric vision screening detects children at risk for visual conditions with the goal of connecting those in need with an eye care provider for evaluation and treatment. For over two decades, the staff and volunteers of the Lions Clubs Charities have worked with experts in the fields of ophthalmology and visual science to develop and expand their KidSight Outreach vision screening program.

Because many vision problems run the risk of becoming permanent if not corrected by age 7 (which is when the eye reaches full maturity!) Pre-K screening can discover problems early when they can still be corrected. When a child cannot see clearly, they can get frustrated because they want to see, they want to learn, they want to do the right thing. Free eye screenings give kids a leg up. They see better, read better, and statistics indicate that they write better as well when problems are caught early. These Pre-K vision screenings can detect a variety of eye conditions. Amblyopia or “lazy eye” can lead to irreversible vision loss if left untreated. Strabismus, or “crossed eyes,” involves one or both eyes turning inward or outward. Hyperopia, or farsightedness, can be corrected with glasses, as can Myopia or nearsightedness.

Each fall at the beginning of the school year, the Union County Lions Club tests Kindergarten and Pre-K students in Maynardville, Big Ridge, Sharps Chapel, Paulette and Luttrell schools. This year, the testing was performed by Lions Debbie Sylvia-Gardener and Shirlee Grabko. A total of 87 students returned the forms with parental permission for the testing. Eight of these students were referred for further testing by a professional. For the test, the students are told to look at a smiley face in a box (a “camera”) that the Lions member holds. Once the “camera” lines up exactly with their eyes, it can report whether or not the student is seeing properly. This camera provides an automated and objective vision data and, in most cases, a fairly quick screening.

Since the founding of Tennessee Lions Charities in 1995, the KidSight Outreach vision screening program has provided free vision screenings to over 690,000 TN children. More than 40,000 of these children have been referred for further examination and treatment.