Members of the Perry Lions Club are conducting vision screenings at local preschool programs in Perry this week as part of their annual participation in the Iowa KidSight program, a joint project of the Lions Clubs of Iowa and the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital’s Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.
The project aims to provide free, objective vision screening for infants and young children in all of Iowa’s 99 counties. They also seek to educate the public about the risk of undetected vision loss and identify ways to sustain similar vision screening programs across the state.
The program’s target population is children 6 months of age through kindergarten, but the Perry Lions focus on preschool-age children. The aim is to correct vision issues before the kids get into school, which prevents interruptions in development later on.
The Lions test youngsters annually at the Headstart Program at Crossroads Church, Perry Elementary School, Perry Child Development Center and St. Patrick Catholic School.
The screening camera is a precision instrument costing about $10,000 and is on loan from the Panora Lions Club.
The Perry Lions Club also finances eyeglasses for low-income students lacking other sources of support, and they have a hearing aid program for older area residents.
