Oregon State Legislature Considers Vision Screening Legislation

On Monday, January 26, 2009, Donna Dengel, Prevent Blindness America Northwest Region Director, gave testimony before the Oregon State Legislature’s House Education Committee. The Committee was considering HB 2060, a bill to direct the Department of Education to conduct a study and develop a model program for the purposes of providing vision screening to public school students. Oregon law requires vision screening for school children but does not dictate a standardized practice for providing these screenings. HB 2060 would seek to develop a model program for screening in schools throughout Oregon. Vision screenings conducted by properly trained individuals can identify vision problems in children in order for the condition to be treated and to prevent vision loss. Prevent Blindness America firmly believes that vision screening is a cost-effective, efficient means to assure that all children receive the eye care necessary for the health of their vision and their academic success. For more information on children's vision screenings, go to:
http://www.preventblindness.org/vision_screening/childrens_vision_screening.html