3,000 Richland 1 students can get free eye exams, glasses

As many as 3,000 children living inside the Richland School District 1 attendance lines could have access to free eye exams and eyeglasses thanks to gift certificates provided by VSP Vision Care.

Children up to 19 years old can receive a gift certificate for a free eye exam and pair of Otis & Piper brand glasses frames to use at any VSP provider in the area – all they have to do is ask a school nurse or district representative.

Each child in a family can receive a certificate.

“There are so many things that we have to consider when we talk about our students and their academic success, and we want to remove any barrier that might slow their progress,” said Ida Thompson, Richland 1’s director of Instructional Technology Services. “If our students have good eye care ... they can respond to their academic expectations.”

To be eligible to use the gift certificates, a student’s family income must be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, according to Brittany Wesely, a VSP spokeswoman.

The certificates are intended to meet needs not covered by children’s vision insurance, Wesely said. As such, the certificates “don’t cover services for items that are already covered by an individual’s insurance, including coverage through Medicaid. If a child has eye exam coverage but no coverage for eyewear, VSP can supply a gift certificate to use for no-cost glasses,” Wesely said.

Richland 1 was selected as the sole national recipient of the VSP certificates thanks to the district’s longtime participation in the national Reading is Fundamental program, which provides some 40,000 free, new books annually to Richland 1 students. VSP is a charity partner of Reading is Fundamental.

The National Association of School Nurses estimates that 80 percent of a child’s learning is through the eyes and says it is, therefore, critical that children receive proper eye care.

“A child must have good vision to succeed in school,” said Jo Pauling-Jones, executive director of Healthy Learners, a local nonprofit that helps coordinate vision care and other health initiatives for economically disadvantaged children in South Carolina, including many in Richland 1.

Often, vision problems can go undetected until a student begins suffering in his or her school performance.

“A lot of times, students won’t understand or know why they have a problem,” Thompson said. “In second grade, I was having tremendous difficulty and didn’t really know it was my vision until my teacher said something to my parents. I got my first pair of free glasses through the Columbia Lions Club, and the world just changed.”

The gift certificates are good through Nov. 1. Children or parents can get them by contacting their school nurse or by calling the district’s Instructional Technology Services office at (803) 231-9803.

A list of area VSP providers where the certificates can be used can be found at www.vsp.com or by calling (800) 877-7195.

This story was originally published April 12, 2016 at 10:32 AM with the headline "3,000 Richland 1 students can get free eye exams, glasses."