See to Read!

Abstract

In 2013, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 3000, the Children’s Vision Screening Act, requiring all children entering public school kindergarten to have a vision screening. As the lobbyist for the Oregon Academy of Ophthalmology, Nan worked in support ofthis legislation. Joannah Vaughn, director of children’s vision screening at Oregon Health and Science University’s Elks Children’s Eye Clinic, also supported the legislation. She and her staff were already screening several thousand children at Head Start programs every year. One day at the Capitol, she and Nan were discussing how to get thousands of more children screened each year. Joannah had an idea. “Don’t you represent the Oregon Library Association?” she asked. “Public libraries would be a great place to have children’s vision screenings. If libraries provide the space, we’ll provide the staff to do free children’s vision screenings!” Since then, the OLA Board has endorsed free children’s vision screenings as a project for public library participation. Pam North and Jane Corry have met with the Clinic staff at OHSU. And See to Read has become a reality.