About Prevent Blindness North Carolina

Preschool Children’s Vision Screening Program

The Prevent Blindness North Carolina Preschool Vision Screening Program utilizes state-of-the-art, photo-refractive technology to detect potential vision problems for over 33,000 NC preschoolers each year.  Endorsed by NC Department of Health and Human Services, the program identifies vision problems at an early age, when diagnosis and treatment are most effective. PBNC partners with childcare centers and preschool programs such as Head Start, NC PreK and Title 1 PreK to meet federal and state vision screening requirements and ensure healthy vision for their children.  Screenings are provided on-site and at no cost to the centers or parents. Children found to have potential vision problems are referred to an eye doctor for a complete eye exam for a diagnosis and necessary treatment.  All eligible referred children in financial need are provided access to free exams and/or glasses through PBNC’s Vision Resource Program.

Vision problems that are not found and treated early can interfere with a child’s ability to develop properly.  Children can fall behind in school, show behavior problems in the classroom, lag behind other children in school and reaching developmental milestones, and even have permanent vision loss.  PBNC preschool vision screenings detect problems often before either a parent or child notices any symptoms. The main purpose of the screenings is to find problems that can lead to amblyopia which is the leading cause of vision loss in children.  Also known as lazy eye, amblyopia is reduced vision in an eye that has not received adequate use during early childhood.  The condition can lead to permanent vision loss in the affected eye if not detected and treated at an early age. The screenings can detect the following amblyopic risk factors: Myopia (nearsightedness), Hyperopia (farsightedness), Strabismus (eye misalignment), Astigmatism (blurred vision) and Anisometropia (unequal refractive power).

If your preschool is interested in participating in the vision screening program, please contact the PBNC office at 919.755.5044 x 105 or complete this form below:

PBNC PRESCHOOL VISION SCREENING REQUEST FORM

School-Aged Children’s Vision Screening Training and Certification

The PBNC Children’s Vision Screening Certification program ensures NC public and charter schools are able to conduct vision screening according to current national guidelines using age-appropriate evidence-based vision screening tools and procedures. The program provides workshops across all 100 NC counties to certify school staff and volunteers in the fundamentals of vision screening techniques, referral, and follow-up.  To be eligible for training and certification, individuals must have approval from a school nurse or administrator to provide vision screening as part of the school system’s screening program.  Participants will receive a manual, vision screening charts, and sample referral materials. Persons passing performance criteria and a written test receive a certificate which qualifies them to perform vision screening in their representative schools for a period of 2 years.

Screening procedures included in the training are developed and approved by national groups and professional organizations, including the:

• Expert Advisory Committee of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness.
• American Academy of Pediatrics.
• American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.
• American Academy of Ophthalmology.
• American Association of Certified Orthoptists.

Endorsed by NC Department of Health and Human Services, PBNC’s Children’s Vision Screening Certification program aims to ensure that school vision screenings are conducted in a consistent and uniform manner using evidence based and age-appropriate screening tools.  Without training and certification, children and students participate in vision screening with different tools and procedures depending on where they live or which programs and schools they attend. This leads to potential under-referrals and inconsistencies that can drive inequalities in children’s vision, eye care, and eye health across the state.

To schedule a training session, please complete the form below:

PBNC SCHOOL-AGED VISION SCREENING TRAINING REQUEST FORM

Community Vision Program

An estimated 750,000 (1 in 10) North Carolina adults have been diagnosed with diabetes.  An additional 280,000 North Carolina residents may have diabetes and not know it. PBNC currently partners with over 50 federally qualified health centers and community health clinics to provide retinal screenings in order to detect diabetic eye diseases and other diseases of aging eyes such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and cataracts.  The program targets low income diabetic and suspected diabetic patients that may not be able to access recommended annual dilated eye exam. PBNC uses state of the art retinal imaging equipment, provides the screenings at no cost to the clinic or the patient, and provides eye doctors to read the screening results. In addition to retinal screenings partner clinics also have access to PBNC’s Vision Resource Program, which offers qualified applicants access to free eye exams and/or glasses through participating doctor’s offices. PBNC can also provide training on chart-based acuity screening for partner clinics. To help clinical staff assess the patient’s visual acuity and catch possible signs of eye diseases in their patients.

If your clinic is interested in partnering with PBNC to provide retinal screenings for your patients, please email Wendy at [email protected] or fill out the short form below:

COMMUNITY VISION PROGRAM SCREENING REQUEST FORM

Vision Resource Programs

Prevent Blindness North Carolina partners with North Carolina based “Donor Docs” and other optical and insurance partners to offer free vision care vouchers when available.  Each voucher program has its own set of eligibility requirements and offerings provided.  Programs vary from year to year, and are subject to availability, but  the offerings generally include payment for a comprehensive eye exam and/or payment for a single pair of glasses.

Vouchers are provided to PBNC as in-kind donations. In 2022-2023, PBNC provided access to over $660,000 in free eye care to the citizens of North Carolina.