UAB Eye Care, the clinical operation of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, will be hosting free pediatric eye screenings for the community Monday, Aug. 13, at the Western Health Clinic beginning at 1 p.m. Appointments for screenings are not necessary.
Timely with Children’s Eye Safety Month and the start of a new school year, eye screenings help indicate a person’s vision level, identify areas for vision improvement, and alert an optometrist about any vision-related complications a person may be experiencing.
“Because children are unable to tell whether what they are seeing is ‘normal,’ vision issues can escape diagnosis and have serious consequences for their development and quality of life,” said Janene Sims, O.D., Ph.D., associate professor in UAB’s School of Optometry. “Undetected, vision issues can undermine school performance and self-esteem, and lead to low motivation or misdiagnosis of a learning disability; but annual eye exams can help diagnose and treat any potential vision problems that a child may be experiencing.”
Western Health Clinic is located at 631 Bessemer Super Highway, Midfield, AL 35228. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (205) 715-6121 or visit UAB Eye Care on the web at www.uab.edu/eyecare.