AMELIA COUNTY, Va. — One in four school-aged children has a vision problem significant enough to impact learning, according to the nonprofit group Conexus.
In rural areas and economically challenged communities, one in three students has a vision problem.
Dr. Robie Robinson has been an optometrist for over 36 years. For many of those years, he has given back to the Amelia community. This week, he’s at Amelia High School providing free eye exams.
He has partnered with Conexus, an organization committed to protecting education through healthy vision. They also offer kids free glasses.
In rural areas like Amelia County, there can be factors that make seeing a doctor harder: finances, long drives, and long waits for appointments.
Dr. Robinson says putting off eye exams can cause more than physical problems.
"When you look at the amount of information that's synthesized intellectually through our eyes, it’s off the charts," Dr. Robinson said.
Studies show students with eye problems are three times more likely to fail a grade.
"They would have been caught by the DMV and referred out from the DMV,” Robinson said, “but they wouldn't be allowed to drive. In that same acuity, it keeps them from seeing the board. The fellow that just left, he's elbowing his buddy. 'What did the teacher write down?'"
"It keeps them in the classroom,” division nurse Jessica Brown said. “We see a lot of students come in with headaches and stomachaches, and they have issues like behavioral problems. I think figuring this out will help them in the future."
Bringing the exam room to the schools is Building Better Minds.
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