Members of the Greenfield Lions Club recently did vision screenings for all preschool students in the Greenfield schools, Greenfield Head Start and the First Presbyterian Church Preschool. This is the fourth year of preschool screenings held by the club. This year 189 students were screened over the course of two weeks.
The screenings consist of two parts. The main screening is accomplished by using the club’s new Welch Allyn Spot Vision Screener. The child watches the lights while the screener measures the eyes for astigmatism and near and far sightedness among other conditions.
The second screening is the Pass Test 2 or Preschool Assessment of Stereopsis with a Smile 2 test. The tester shows the child two cards, one of which has a smiley face that can only be seen with the “magic” glasses. This is a test of stereopsis or how well the eyes are working together to see depth and distance.
If a student does not pass the screening, a printout of the information is given to the parent. This printout should be taken to an optometrist for a more thorough examination. If a family has difficulty affording such an examination, the Greenfield Lions Club is there to help financially.
The Welch Allyn Vision Screener used for these screenings was purchased by the Greenfield club in 2016. It has proven to be quicker in finding results, easier to use, more accurate and provides more information than the original screener used by the club.
The cost of this screener was more than $7,000. This purchase was made possible because of the generous donations that Greenfield community members have made to the Lions. Club projects such as the Octoberfest and Greene Countrie Towne Festival food booths, broom and candy sales, and annual Sight Seals campaign are the club’s source of income.
Sight Seals have recently been mailed out asking for donations to help the club with its philanthropic activities. If you receive a Sight Seal letter, a donation would greatly help. If you don’t receive a Sight Seal letter and want to help continue these screenings, send your donation to Greenfield Lions Club, P.O. Box 34, Greenfield, Ohio 45123.
