By Anna Skinner
In the middle of May, the Westfield Lion’s Club held two Operation Kidsight Vision screening events. The screenings took place at Abacus Child Care and Centennial Kindercare on May 13 and 14. A small and quick screening device tested for amblyopia, more commonly known as “lazy eye.”
“The Operation Kidsight Vision Screening has been part of Lion’s Club for a while, it’s specifically designed to screen children aged from 18 months to 5 years old,” Mark Albright, president of the Westfield Lion’s Club, said. “Kids that young can’t communicate when something doesn’t appear right in their vision.”
The screening device takes quick measurements of the eye and rates the measurements on a pass/fail scale. After the measurements are taken, the Lions Club sends a notice to parents to see a vision care professional, if needed.
Although only one of these screening events has taken place, Albright said he hopes to continue to hold the events on a yearly basis at separate daycares.
“It takes some effort to get the planning and date, but we do have forms and everything so the centers don’t do a lot of the heavy lifting,” Albright said.
The screenings are free, and at the event in May, a total of 79 children were screened.
According to Janice Chapman, Lions state program coordinator for Operation Kidsight, 19,482 children in Indiana have been screened.
“Westfield is growing, and as we get more kids there’s more risk and we would like to offer this service as a Lions Club function,” Albright said. “The message is that … with a lot more kids the Lions Club is really looking for ways we can meet the humanitarian needs of our community. We think this is the way to do it because sight is on of the key functions that Lions International is known for.”
For a daycare to schedule a screening date, contact Albright at [email protected] or call 513-8027.
