Transitions Optical’s Diversity Advisory Board, in a partnership with OneSight, an independent non-profit committed to eliminating the global vision care crisis, hosted host a one-day vision clinic Friday at Deerwood Elementary School in Kissimmee. The clinic provided free eye exams and eyewear services for students.
Occurring three days before the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance, 15 licensed eye doctors, opticians, Transitions Optical Diversity Advisory Board members and OneSight staff members provided their services to over 60 students during the school day.
“It was such a tremendous and inspiring experience to have Transitions Optical and OneSight here,” Deerwood Principal Audie Confessor said. “It was great to observe our students in need have their vision tested and receive eyeglasses on the same exact day. The staff was wonderful with our students, and our students were really excited to be able to pick out their own glasses to help them be successful.”
According to Osceola School District statistics, Deerwood Elementary is 81 percent composed of Hispanic/Latino (62 percent) and African American (19) students. Those groups, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are less likely to be able to access eyecare services because of language barriers and/or health insurance coverage.
The Hispanic/Latino population in the United States also has some of the highest rates of vision loss and blindness caused by eye disease—particularly diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. African Americans also share a higher risk of those same eye diseases. Moreover, African Americans are at a higher risk for glaucoma at a much younger age than other populations. Additionally, a lack of representation of African American or Black students in optometry schools and in the profession of optometry exists.
“At OneSight, we know that eye exams and glasses provide so much more than clear sight, alone,” said OneSight Executive Director K.T. Overbey, “Access to vision care brings about equitable opportunities in education, employment and earning potential.”
