YACHATS — To help identify children’s vision problems before they become serious, the Yachats Lions Club is staging a free eyesight screening Tuesday, Feb. 18.
From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Lions Hall, 344 W. Fourth St., children ages three to 18 can get a quick procedure from trained personnel to help spot any vision issues.
The screening is available to all home-schooled children as well as those attending preschool at the Yachats Youth and Family Activities Program. Any other children who may have missed the screening at their public, private or charter school are also welcome.
The Yachats Lions offers the event in partnership with the Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation’s school vision screening program.
“Screening takes just 30 seconds to a minute,” said Yachats Lions president David Okelley. A screener from the Oregon foundation, local Lions and additional volunteers will administer the screening using a device called the Welch Allyn Spot. According to the foundation’s website, “Using this device, we can detect eight different vision issues in seconds.”
Children who currently use glasses should wear them during the screening. “We see that sometimes children’s glasses are no longer working well for them, and they need an adjustment,” Okelley said.
“Many studies have shown that having corrected vision leads to better outcomes in school,” he said. “It is so important that we catch our children’s eye issues early and get them corrected.”
At the time of the screening, parents will be given a handout with the results, and information if next steps are needed.
“Unlike our statewide SVS program, where we are often reimbursed by the state, this screening will be funded by the Yachats Lions and the foundation,” Okelley says.
