Sight Savers America to provide life-changing vision aids to five visually impaired children at WesternU
Western University of Health Sciences and Sight Savers America have partnered to give life-changing assistive technology to five local children with severe vision loss.
The children each will receive hour-long training sessions on special magnifying equipment beginning at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015, at the WesternU Eye Care Center, 795 E. Second Street, Pomona, Calif. 91766. WesternU and Sight Savers officials will make introductory remarks at 9 a.m.
The children were referred to the Sight Savers America/WesternU program through an agreement with the California School for the Blind, which is operated by the California Department of Education.
Sight Savers America (http://sightsaversamerica.org/) will be donating five Electronic Video Magnifiers (EVMs) to these children, who all have eye conditions that are not correctable with conventional glasses or contact lenses.
An EVM will allow each child to make the most of their remaining vision, to function at their highest level at school and home, and to stay independent. EVMs will open the world to these children by allowing them to magnify images up to 79 times, allowing them to see their parents’ faces for the first time, read, write, and complete schoolwork independently with less eye fatigue and back and neck strain.
Given their sophisticated features, EVMs can be costly, and are not covered by any type of medical insurance. Through generous donors, Sight Savers America secured funding from The Million Dollar Roundtable and Optelec International to provide this unique technology to children who need it. The first Sight Savers event at WesternU took place on Dec. 14, 2012.
WHO: Sight Savers America – Jeff Haddox/Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry – Drs. Robert Gordon and Linda Pang
WHEN: Introductory remarks and the first two training sessions begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2015
WHERE:
Western University of Health Sciences Eye Care Center in the Patient Care Center,
795 E. Second St., Pomona, Calif. 91766
DETAILS: Five visually impaired children receive life-changing assistive technology and training to enhance their vision. The children, their families, and representatives from the WesternU College of Optometry and Sight Savers America will be available for interviews.
