The Three Rivers Lion Club will provide free vision screening for all ages on Friday and Saturday afternoons, June 15 and 16, during the Three Rivers Water Festival. The screenings will take place near L. A.’s Coffee Café on West Michigan Avenue from 1:00 p.m. until each evening.
Infants through children age 5 are seated on a parent’s lap and photographed with a Plusoptix S09 vision screener, which can detect indications of eye diseases. The photograph is then instantly transmitted for evaluation to the University of Michigan Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Parents will be notified of the results and any possible need for further evaluation.
On average, nearly one child in five has an undetected vision disorder by the age of four. This high prevalence is not surprising for vision disorders not having obvious symptoms like other diseases. Affected children do not notice their vision disorders because they are used to seeing the world through their eyes and have no basis of comparison.
Children age 6 through adults are screened, using a device similar to that used for driver’s license testing, to detect vision problems that are recommended for evaluation by an eye-care professional. Results of the screening are immediately given to the individual.
Vision screening is a service provided by the Three Rivers Lions Club and Lions of Michigan District 11-B2.
