Optometry unit wins Queen’s award

CARDIFF University has received “the UK’s most prestigious academic award” for its pioneering research and treatment of vision problems in children with Down’s syndrome.

The university’s Down’s Syndrome Vision Research Unit has been given the Queen’s Anniversary Prize, which is awarded every two years to universities and colleges across the UK for work of outstanding excellence.

This is the first time an optometry unit has received the award.

Children with Down’s are at much greater risk of eye and vision disorders and need regular examinations. They are also more likely to need glasses and compensation in the classroom for visual deficits.

These specific visual problems were previously described as “very poorly understood, misinterpreted and undiagnosed”.

The unit was established in direct response to this neglected area of research and is now at the forefront of research in its field.

It has discovered that the process which corrects errors in typical infants fails in those with Down’s syndrome. And it has also played a huge part in highlighting the benefits of bifocals to patients.

The research has also informed training for optometrists and changed the way those educating young people with Down’s syndrome set up the learning environment. Changes to sight tests, teaching methods and resources for children with Down’s syndrome are just some of the life-changing impacts of the unit’s work.