Congressman Tony P. Hall's Request To Congress Results In Funds Supporting ChildSight® Programs In Dayton And Five Other US Cities

Helen Keller International
Monday, 2 April 2001

34 Dayton Schools To Receive Eye-Health Care from ChildSight®—A Division of Helen Keller Worldwide.

Dayton, OH—April 2, 2001—Congressman Tony P. Hall, Meredith Tilp, Vice President of ChildSight®, and Fay Day, Principal of Kiser Middle School, join together today to participate first-hand in ChildSight®—a unique service in eye-health care. As a result of support from the US Department of Education, ChildSight® is bringing free vision screening and free prescription eyeglasses to underserved children living in economically depressed circumstances in Dayton, Ohio.

"Helen Keller Worldwide has been battling blindness in the most underserved reaches of the world since 1915. Its ChildSight® program, launched in 1994, is the agency's first domestic initiative. In the United States, seven-million children living in poverty, ages 11 through 14, need vision screening but cannot afford a visit to a clinic. Two-million of those children only need eyeglasses to correct their vision and give them the chance to realize their academic potential. ChildSight® is giving them that chance," said Rep. Tony P. Hall.

At Hall's request, Congress approved $1,250,000 to Helen Keller Worldwide to support ChildSight® programs in six new cities, including Dayton. "I requested the funds because of the urgent need to provide eyeglasses to children from low-income families whose educational performance might be hindered by poor vision," Hall added.

As Meredith Tilp explained on March 14 at a Subcommittee Hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC, "Children's eyes change as they reach puberty. ChildSight® recognizes the correlation between academic performance and the basic need to see properly. By working directly within junior high schools and providing free vision screening and eyeglasses—all within the school building—ChildSight® improves a student's vision, and also academic performance. Improved classroom participation, grades, and student behavior are proven outcomes. And that's why at ChildSight®, our motto is 'Bringing Education Into Focus.' "

Laura Tilton, a teacher at Roth Middle School, commented: "We realize many of our students are not reaching their potential because of problems with their sight and the inability of parents to pay. Our students deserve the best and thanks to ChildSight®, their achievements will increase, as will their self esteem."

The Dayton Public School District invited ChildSight® to become a part of their student health program in May 2000. With generous assistance from Kathryn McCombs, Director of Health Services, office space was provided at the Roosevelt Center. By early autumn, the Dayton team was assembled, headed by Project Coordinator Kathy Yanko, a former school teacher with academic credentials in health education.

For more information, or to contact Helen Keller International, see their website at: www.hki.org