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Job of the week

A Lesson on the Importance of Vision Care in Schools

November 14, 2011

By Delia Paunescu: Assistant Editor

 
Since most students at Clarke Street School had never had eye exams, Wisconsin Vision president/CEO Darren Horndasch explains what to expect.
Signs of the struggling economy are found in places other than the protesters “occupying” parks in cities around the country. When budget cuts slashed resources throughout Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), school nurses were also sometimes eliminated, taking with them the opportunity for children to be screened for vision problems.

“Numerous studies show the poorer the school population, the more children need glasses,” said Darren Horndasch, president and CEO of Wisconsin Vision.

“According to the Journal of School Health, children living in low income urban environments have twice the normal rate of vision problems,” he said.

To combat the current lack of vision testing in schools, Wisconsin Vision created its Clear Days Ahead program. Back in April, the company examined students’ vision at Clarke Street School, ultimately distributing free glasses to 45 students in need. Of those, Horndasch said, eight were legally blind.

Now, the 27-location retailer has joined forces with Prevent Blindness Wisconsin and expanded the program, providing vision screenings to Gwen T. Jackson Elementary, a school which recently lost its school nurse to budget cuts.

   
Students sat down with Wisconsin Vision’s Robert Mathaus, OD, for their eye screenings and exams. Who says getting your eyes checked can’t be fun?
Dr. M. Kathleen Murphy, health services coordinator for MPS said, “Having fewer school nurses makes the most important work of follow-up post screening very difficult.” Wisconsin as a state also does not require vision screenings or comprehensive eye exams for students.

 
American Idol finalist and Wisconsin Vision spokesperson Danny Gokey passed out glasses to students in need at the Clarke Street School earlier this month.

Before handing out the new glasses, Wisconsin Vision optician Brandon Horndasch checks that they fit the student properly.
Helping with what it calls “troubling statistics,” Wisconsin Vision returned to Clark Street and new addition Gwen T. Jackson on Nov. 2 and 3, providing free visual acuity exams to all children and eye glasses for those who needed them. Horndasch said the prescription frames were produced on site to show children how they’re made, with the company donating the needed lenses, frames (from brands like Disney and Power Rangers) and fabrications, valued at around $200 per pair.

“Our screenings and Wisconsin Vision’s follow-up care provide immediate solutions that make it easy for children to be identified and get the vision care they need,” said Barbara Armstrong, executive director Prevent Blindness Wisconsin. “Left undetected and uncorrected, vision problems can interfere with reading and other visual skills critical to academic success as 80 percent of a child’s learning is related to sight. Children need healthy vision to be successful in school.”

“Wisconsin Vision, Prevent Blindness Wisconsin and MPS want to bring to light the correlation between good vision and improved school performance,” Horndasch said. “We urge all parents no matter where your child goes to school to screen your youngsters for vision problems before they start kindergarten.”

So far, over 500 children have received vision screenings and, according to the organizations, teachers at the first school to receive help, Clarke Street, have noted that a majority of students who received free Wisconsin Vision eyeglasses in April reported school is easier, their grades have improved, they are more interested in school and, “they feel better about themselves.” ■

dpaunescu@jobson.com

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