Vision screenings scheduled for Grand Island children

Grand Island Lions Press Release & Logo

The Grand Island Lions, in conjunction with the Grand Island Central School District, KidSight USA and Lions S.E.E. program, will perform vision screenings in the public schools and St. Stephen’s from Jan. 12-16. It’s expected nearly 750 pre-K to second-grade children will be screened. They will be joined by a team of experienced screeners from other Lions Club chapters in the area.

Why is screening so important? Children need to see well to learn well. Since July 1, 2025, 15,253 children have been screened across Western New York – resulting in 2,926 children (nearly 1 out of 5 screened) exhibiting some form of amblyopia and needing to be referred for medical follow-up.

The Lions S.E.E. (screening eyes early) program uses trained volunteers to operate state-of-the-art “cameras” to take digital images of children’s eyes. More commonly referred to as a “screener,” an onboard computer analyzes the images for potential amblyopic (“lazy-eye”) conditions that, if left untreated in some cases, may cause irreversible vision blindness in one eye by the time the child reaches 7 years of age. Milder forms of amblyopia, such as near- and far-sightedness, can be treated with corrective eyeglasses.

Other conditions screened include anisometropia (differing refractive powers), strabismus or gaze (misaligned eyes), astigmatism (blurred vision) and anisocoria (unequal pupil size).

Advantages of using these screeners are that there is no contact with the child; and a dimly lit room serves to dilate the children’s eyes without use of drops. Further, screening can be readily performed within the children’s classroom with minimal disruption of the curriculum.

Typically, an individual screening takes less than 30 seconds to perform. Moreover, the screenings are provided at no cost.

The data is securely downloaded to the school nurse’s or the center owner’s computer, with a printed report made available to the children’s parents and/or guardians for follow-up.

The screener is considered a reliable and reasonably accurate device, serving as an adjunct to other vision measurement methods. But, it does not substitute for a comprehensive eye exam by a qualified pediatric ophthalmologist or optometrist.

In the event that there are financial needs, assistance is available to those families that qualify.

For further information, to schedule children in a day care facility or a child who is home-schooled, contact Grand Island Lions Sight Chair Tom Witkowski at 716-909-1862 or email liontom20n@gmail.com.

Additional information about Lions S.E.E. is available at www.lionsseeny.org. Information about KidSight USA can be found at https://www.lionskidsightusa.org.