Optic options
Vision screening program coming to Yuma Elementary District One
Eye-tracking software will help spot vision problems in Yuma Elementary District One students this fall.
Vision problems among children can have a lasting effect on nearly every aspect of their lives, the co-founder of a vision screening company in Phoenix told community officials at a recent presentation. Some vision problems can even lead to blindness if not detected early.
“There are a lot of vision disorders that are extraordinary subtle. And if you think about it from a kid’s perspective, if your eyesight has always been blurry, how do you know any different?” Richard Tirendi said.
Vision screening has remained basically unchanged over the past 100 years, Tirendi told the audience at the District One governing board room, and many families cannot afford $150 for an eye appointment.
Compounding the problem, Tirendi continued, is that low-income children, and children who experience problems in school, are disproportionately affected by vision problems. That’s where Tirendi, and his neighbor Dr. James O’Neil, put their expertise together. O’Neil, a leading Arizona pediatric ophthalmologist, and Tirendi, a well-known electrical and computer engineer, developed a computer-based vision screening program called EyeSpy 20/20 that can easily discern whether a child needs further intervention.
EyeSpy is the only automated visual screening system — it uses computer technology to measure visual acuity, depth perception and color vision and automates the collecting and reporting of data, Tirendi said.
A partnership between United Way of Yuma County and VisionQuest 20/20 will bring the EyeSpy 20/20 program to Yuma School District One at no cost to the students or the district, said United Way of Yuma County CEO Karina Jones. Jones said she also hopes to expand the program to Somerton and San Luis.
“Yuma School District One is receiving lifetime use of EyeSpy 20/20 providing all of their students to receive a fast, accurate, reliable and fun vision screening for years to come,” Jones said. The organization plans to screen every child, including those with special needs.
Yuma County Supervisor Russell McCloud asked what would happen to children who were found to have vision anomalies.
Tirendi said school organizers would determine how parents are informed of the screening results, and at what level of detail, as EyeSpy is not a diagnostic tool. Follow-up will remain the responsibility of the parents, he said.
However, Jones said United Way is hoping to help families find options to fund follow-up measures.
United Way is accepting volunteers to train to help with the vision screenings. Volunteers do not need advanced degrees to help administer the screening — the computer does the work. Jones is also looking for donations of computers, as the EyeSpy program runs on Windows, and District One uses Apple products.
To volunteer or donate computers (or laptops with large screens), contact the United Way at 928-783-0515.