Day 15 of 25 Days of Giving: Prevent Blindess Indiana

Each day, for 25 days during the month of December, the Indians will highlight one community partner organization and how you can give back this holiday season. For more information, visit the 25 Days of Giving main post.

Day 15: Prevent Blindness Indiana

Prevent Blindness Indiana works to prevent blindness and preserve sight through vision screenings, helping low-income individuals find donated eye care services, ongoing education and public awareness. Connect to Prevent Blindess Indiana on Twitter @PB_Indiana

Prevent Blindness Indiana, affiliated in 1950 with Prevent Blindness America, is Indiana’s leading eye health and safety organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight.

Kids Who Can’t See Can’t Learn

PBI’s Children’s Vision Screening Program, and its full complement of initiatives designed to ensure that children who fail the vision screening get a comprehensive vision exam, is PBI’s highest priority.

Vision issues are a barrier to learning.  Eighty percent of what a child perceives, comprehends and remembers depends on the efficiency of his visual system.  When a child starts school with a vision deficit, he is unlikely to recognize or report a problem with his eyesight.  To him, this compromised way of seeing is normal.

For many students, a school-based screening may be the only occasion their vision is assessed.  But, just having the vision screening doesn’t ensure that the child will see an optometrist, get glasses, or other vision correction that may needed.  Without taking this additional, and costly, step, it could be months or years before a child’s vision is properly corrected – and time is of the essence.  Therefore, PBI:

• Performs vision screenings at area schools to detect any potential problems.

• Follows-up with the parent/guardian of every child who failed the screening to ensure that child receives an exam.

• Provides a voucher of up to $250 for the child’s exam and glasses, if they qualify for financial need, through our Sight for Students program.  Last year, 400 children received such a voucher.

Indiana’s goals for improving high school graduation rates will not be achieved if students cannot see clearly at an early age.  Last year, we screened 12,725 children – and referred 18% of them for follow-up exams.

Adult Assistance and Education Outreach

PBI also conducts vision screenings for adults, and through our Gift of Vision program, we help low-income adults find donated eye care services.   450 adults were served in 2010. We provide comprehensive educational materials on vision –general health, safety, and various eye diseases – to both individuals and organizations.  We extend our reach and impact also by training and certifying clinic staffs and volunteers to conduct vision screenings according to protocols recommended by PBA.

Consider the following facts:

• Vision loss is estimated to cost the U.S. economy more than $68 billion annually.

• Every 11 minutes, someone goes blind, yet half of all blindness can be prevented.

• Blindness is the number one disabling complication of diabetes.

How YOU Can Help

In the current economic environment, PBI is striving to meet increased requests for services under a diminished budget.   We need volunteers to help around the office and also to assist with offsite vision screenings

Please help PBI continue to meet the vision health needs of Hoosiers – donate now!

To find out more about Prevent Blindness Indiana, visit www.pbeye.org.