A national initiative, Vision to Learn, is helping millions of children gain access to free eye exams and glasses, ensuring they have the visual tools needed for academic success. This program, founded by Austin Beutner, aims to address the overlooked issue of uncorrected vision problems among schoolchildren.
Beutner, who founded the company with the mission to empower students, highlighted the significant impact that glasses can have on a child’s life. “Most children who don’t have the glasses they need, don’t know they need glasses,” Beutner said. “As a result, they often face misdiagnosis, being labeled as behavioral problems in kindergarten due to fidgeting or an inability to focus. By the time they reach middle school, they are often seen as slow learners, which can increase their chances of dropping out later.”
According to the American Optometric Association, approximately one in four children in the United States needs glasses. Unfortunately, many families are unable to afford either the glasses or the time to take their children to an eye doctor.
Dr. Debbie Kim, an optometrist with Vision to Learn, explained the barriers some children face: “Sometimes they know they need glasses, but they understand that their families can’t afford them or don’t have the time to take them to a doctor.”
Vision to Learn addresses this issue through its mobile clinic service, bringing on-campus vision screenings, eye exams, and glasses directly to students in underserved communities, all at no cost to the families. The program operates a fleet of 60 mobile clinics across the United States, with eight vans serving the greater Los Angeles area alone. Since its inception, Vision to Learn has provided eye care to over 3 million students nationwide.
Beyond vision correction, the program also focuses on overall eye health. “We not only look at the eyes but check for any other potential health red flags,” said Dr. Kim.
One beneficiary of the program, Romello McRae, an incoming student at Dartmouth College, shared how receiving glasses changed the course of his life. “Without glasses, my whole trajectory would be pointed in a completely different direction,” McRae reflected.
Beutner emphasized the program’s long-term impact: “We can make sure every child, like Mello, can become a young adult, go off to a great school, and live their best life if we help them early, help them young. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
Vision to Learn’s efforts are making a lasting difference by ensuring children across the nation have access to the eye care they need to succeed academically and beyond.
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