SightFirst Foundation works to improve vision for needy

For most of us, a regular eye checkup and a new pair of glasses whenever we need them are fairly routine health care measures.

But, for many Southern Nevadans, eye checkups are oft-delayed events and glasses are way too expensive to replace routinely.

However, through the nonprofit Lions SightFirst Foundation, free eye screenings and eyewear are available to anybody who can't afford, or lacks insurance to cover, either.

President Win Adler says the foundation, an undertaking of the Lions Club's Nevada district, regularly offers free vision screenings at health fairs, diabetes clinics, schools and other locations across the valley. Often, he said, participants "have never had an eye exam in their life" because of cost or simple inaccessibility to care.

Equipment used in the foundation's screenings checks for visual acuity and can reveal potential cataracts, glaucoma or macular degeneration. If a screening indicates that care is needed, people will be referred to ophthalmologists or optometrists. If someone needs glasses, they can be obtained at no charge through the foundation.

Making the effort possible are Lions volunteers and valley medical professionals who donate their time and expertise, Adler says. "If it weren't for them, we could not do what we do, because we do an average of about 100 exams a month and (distribute) about 100 pairs of glasses a month for free."

"We also have to thank Lenscrafters, which supplies us with many pairs of glasses for free," Adler adds.

The foundation also pays transportation costs for people who have no-cost medical care provided at a Lions hospital in San Francisco, Adler says.

All of the foundation's services are provided at no cost to eligible people. Prospective participants merely fill out a form asking for "very light financial information," Adler says. "Basically, we want to know (their) expenses are more than income."

Because the program operates with volunteers and donated labor, administrative costs are low, Adler says. However, the group would like to increase the number of people it serves.

"We estimate -- and this is based on government statistics -- that there are somewhere between 5,000 and 7,500 schoolkids in Clark County who have vision problems and no insurance or are too poor" to obtain screening, Adler says. "We know it's a drop in the bucket to (screen) 500 or 600 children a year. At least it's something, but we do know it's not enough. We'd like to do more."

Donations, and volunteers, always are welcome, Adler says.

For more information about the Lions SightFirst Foundation, call 251-5874.

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.