Some students have trouble paying attention or reading in school simply because they need eye glasses — and, no one has figured it out.
This month, Sears Optical delivered new eyeglasses to these very kids, many with parents who had lost their jobs.
In partnership with OneSight, the Sears team provided vision screenings to 1,579 students in Delaware and referred 196 for follow-up care. After full eye exams, a total of 59 sets of glasses were prescribed.
The Wilmington location was chosen because of the 2009 closing of DHL, the region’s largest employer. Thousands in this small town lost their medical coverage when the cargo delivery hub shut its doors.
During one boy’s screening he tested 20/100 in both eyes. After the exam, the ophthalmology doctor prescribed Hunter his very first pair of glasses. The boy’s school bus driver said that prior to Hunter getting glasses he was quite challenging on the school bus, always misbehaving. Wearing his new glasses his first day back on the bus, he was like a new child. He sat right up front and kept sharing with the driver all the wonderful things he could now see.
A second little boy by the name of Logan came to the clinic wearing a rather beat-up pair of glasses that had a very strong prescription. As he was going thru the pre-test process he was quite worried that there was no way anyone could pay to make him a new pair of glasses. After completing his eye exam with the doctor, the volunteers found that Logan needed a +20.00 prescription. The team made Logan not 1 but 2 pairs of new eyeglasses so that he could continue to see well even if he lost or broke his first pair.
According to the American Optometric Association, up to 94 percent of children with reading problems have reduced visual skills. “OneSight provides important opportunities that help children succeed in school and, ultimately, in life,” said Daryl Hammett, GM Sears Optical. “We have seen many cases where a pair of glasses has made the difference in helping a child succeed in school or enabling a parent to find meaningful work to support their family. Seeing a child’s face light up because they can see clearly for the first time is something I will never forget.”
OneSight is a Luxottica Group non-profit Foundation, dedicated to improving vision for those in need worldwide through outreach, research and education. Since 1988, OneSight has helped more than six million people around the world see more clearly. OneSight also supports research and education, granting more than $6 million towards vision preservation and thousands of dollars in scholarships to students pursuing a degree in Optometry. Luxottica Group is a global leader in eyewear manufacturing and sales. For more information visit www.onesight.org.