It’s estimated that more than 1 in 5 school children are nearsighted or have another vision impairment that can be corrected by glasses, and nearly 40 states screen all school children for vision problems. But screening isn’t enough. Only 5 to 8 percent of school children actually have glasses. Scheduling eye exams, ordering glasses and dealing with insurance are big impediments for many low-income families. That leaves some 12 to 15 percent of U.S. school children with blurry vision.
Beginning in 2016, a team of education researchers, vision specialists and philanthropists sought to rectify this problem in Baltimore, one of the poorest U.S. cities. Vans retrofitted as mobile optician clinics parked outside schools. Students who needed glasses received free pairs from Warby Parker. They even got free replacements for lost and broken ones.
This story about free glasses for students was written by Jill Barshay and produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for the Hechinger newsletter.
The post PROOF POINTS: Focusing on glasses in schools appeared first on The Hechinger Report.
