Ensure your child is set up for success when they return to school

Your child’s sight can play an important role in your child’s physical, mental and social development.

In partnership with Zenni and its network of affiliates, Prevent Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in children across America.

Get the Facts!

1 in 4 school-aged children has a vision disorder that can interfere with learning and development.
Vision disorders that are not found and treated early can interfere with learning. Children can fall behind in school, show behavior problems in the classroom, lag behind other children in school, and miss key developmental milestones, and may result in permanent vision loss.
Prevent Blindness recommends a continuum of eye care for children to include both vision screening, comprehensive eye examinations, and adherence to treatment as prescribed.
Common vision disorders in children include amblyopia (lazy eye), strabismus (crossed eyes), and refractive error, including myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.

Tips to get your child ready for school:

Make sure your child’s healthcare provider, educator or public health program conducts regular vision screenings and refers children for eye care who do not pass the screening.
Take your child to an eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist) if they do not pass a vision screening, if they are at increased risk of a vision problem due to developmental delay, medical condition, or a family history of vision problems, or if you have a concern about your child’s vision.
Follow all treatment recommendations the eye doctor prescribes for your child- including eyeglasses, wearing an eye patch, medications, and/or surgical recommendations.

If your child needs glasses, read these tips for helping your child take care of their glasses. Check out Zenni Eyewear for affordable, high-quality eyeglasses.

Vision Screening Ambassadors

Thanks to certified Prevent Blindness community volunteers who provide vision screenings at schools across America, these children are now able to see the world around them more clearly.

Luke

Luke Fortunately for Luke, age 5, Prevent Blindness North Carolina (PBNC) visited his child care center to offer free vision screenings. When he failed the screening, PBNC recommended that he be examined by an eye doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Luke’s doctor did discover a significant vision impairment in his right eye and prescribed glasses and patching to help reverse the vision loss that had already occurred.

“Thank you SO MUCH for alerting us to the fact that Luke had one eye vastly different from his other eye!!! It’s because of your screening that we have glasses and patches at work to save him from a lazy eye. The doctor told us if we hadn’t come in, his condition would have been irreversible in a few years.” – Luke’s mother

Georgia

Georgia
Georgia was referred to an eye doctor for a complete eye exam and glasses after a Prevent Blindness Georgia vision screening.

Find out more about her story and more in Prevent Blindness Georgia’s Seeing Through the Eyes of Another video.

Charles

Charles A certified vision screening from Prevent Blindness Wisconsin community volunteers changed Charles’ life. If not for his preschool vision screening, his vision problems may have gone undetected and resulted in permanent vision loss. Charles’ parents are grateful for the work done by community volunteers from Prevent Blindness Wisconsin and say,

“We would absolutely recommend a Children’s Vision Screening. Having his eye problem diagnosed early on has been a game-changer. Before this, Charles had moments throughout the day when he would become so irritable and easily distracted. We are very grateful for Prevent Blindness Wisconsin and all they have done for our family.”

Find out more about children’s vision programs and services at our Prevent Blindness affiliates

The Zenni Scholarship to Advance Children's Vision

Zenni and Prevent Blindness have partnered to create the Zenni Scholarship to Advance Children’s Vision. The scholarship provides professionals with free enrollment in the Prevent Blindness vision certification program. This program was designed to improve vision health equity by training early childcare, education and healthcare professionals to provide children’s vision screening. Once certified, these professionals can help identify vision problems early and connect thousands of children across the U.S. with eye care – targeting those who are less likely to have access to care. The Zenni eyeglass vouchers will benefit children at high-risk of vision disorders so they can see the world with clear vision and be ready to learn, play and improve their self-esteem.

Get Your Child Back-to-School Ready with PB and Zenni Eyewear