Imagine struggling
to see the numbers on a clock, or the letters on a sign, or the cars coming
down the road. Think how discouraging it would be if you got a headache
every time you read, or did homework, or tried to see an assignment on the
blackboard. For a student to learn, he or she must be able to see.
Eighty-percent of learning is through the visual sense. One out of four
children has a vision problem, yet only one out of seven children has had
an eye examination before starting school. Only one out of two teenagers
has an eye examination by high school graduation.
March is National Save Your Vision Month. Many students throughout Ohio
are participating in a program called Realeyes, a classroom initiative that
teaches students the importance of eye health and safety.
“The Realeyes Education Initiative was created by the Ohio Optometric
Association to educate children and their parents that vision care is
important for a child’s success in school,” said Karla Zadnik, OD, PhD,
associate dean of The Ohio State University College of Optometry, and
medical director of Realeyes.
Realeyes connects classrooms with eye doctors in the community. Now in
its seventh year, Realeyes has been presented to over 250,000 students in
over 325 school districts throughout Ohio. The Ohio Optometric Association,
through a grant from the Ohio Department of Health Save Our Sight fund,
created Realeyes, which consists of three age-appropriate, standardized,
interactive classroom presentations. “The Adventures of Rhet and Tina,”
uses puppets and hands-on activities to teach kindergarten through
second-graders about vision health and eye safety. Optical illusions are
used in “The Case of Vinny Vision” for third through fifth-graders.
“Vision: Impossible” teaches middle school students about common eye
diseases by using vision simulator cards. An online curriculum is available
for high school students at ooa/realeyes. All curricula are
offered at no charge to schools. Funds are generated through donations
given at license and registration renewal at the Ohio Bureau of Motor
Vehicles.
In addition to Realeyes the Ohio Optometric Association offers these
other vision programs for children:
— InfantSEE(R), a public health program, provides a free vision
evaluation for children under one year of age
(infantsee).
— Ohio Amblyope Registry, provides information and materials to families
with amblyopic children, is also funded through a grant from the Ohio
Department of Health Save Our Sight fund
(ohioamblyoperegistry).
— Also, students referred for an Individualized Education Program (IEP)
are required by state law to have an eye examination by an optometrist
or ophthalmologist. A list of doctors providing eye exams is available
at iepeyeexam.
Ohio Optometric Association
ooa