Sight Savers America offers free vision aid for kids

MIDLAND, Texas (KOSA) -Sight Savers America is giving low vision evaluations and high-tech vision aids for free to kids struggling to see.

The smiles on faces today were easy to see as two doctors with sight savers america’s low vision clinic met and evaluated kids.

It’s all to determine if high tech vision aids would help kids see.

“The low vision doctors are coming in evaluating patients and once they recommend the high-tech vision aids, we provide it free of charge for home use,” said Matt Daw, the associate director at Sight Savers America.

The ‘Onyx Electronic Video Magnifier’ magnifies things up to 118 times to help kids in their everyday life.

“These children can use it for their homework, daily tasks, they can take the camera, point it out and look at their loved ones faces, look at themselves for personal grooming,” said Daw.

Sight Savers America trains the kids and families on how to use the vision aid.

They also get to take their new tool home the same day.

“They’re extremely happy and just simply being able to point that camera outside and look at a tree or look at a squirrel and see something that they usually don’t see is very rewarding,” said Daw.

These vision aids are expensive and not covered by medical insurance.

Daw says there are many visually impaired kids in texas.

Sight Savers America offers this free of charge to help as many kids as possible.

“It’s extremely rewarding because we are assisting a lot of visually impaired children that deserve an opportunity to live their life daily and to the best of their ability,” said Daw.

Ten kids in Midland and Odessa will be evaluated for the Onyx Electronic Video Magnifier

The organization also provides follow-up eye care for these kids each year.

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