Eye See, Eye Learn program offers free glasses to children in Nova Scotia

The Nova Scotia Association of Optometrists (NSAO) has announced a new program that will provide free glasses to some children in Nova Scotia.

The Eye See, Eye Learn program provides glasses to children in primary and pre-primary in the province. The Essilor Foundation, Modern Optical and the NSAO sponsored the program, which has already provided more than 20 free pairs of glasses since its launch.

“One in four children have a vision problem that affects their learning, and some visual conditions can become permanent if they aren’t identified and corrected early in life,” says Dr. Lisa Morrison, president of the NSAO, in a news release. “This is why it is so important that children have regular eye examinations.”

John Hopkins Medicine conducted a study that found improving a student’s access to eyeglasses led to higher test scores in reading and math. The NSAO hopes the Eye See, Eye Learn program will improve learning outcomes in Nova Scotia and encourage regular eye checkups, the news release says.

While eye exams for children under 10 are covered by MSI every two years, the NSAO says recent data has found that only one out of seven Nova Scotia children in primary and pre-primary see their optometrist regularly for a checkup.

The NSAO says some serious eye conditions have no symptoms and can often go unnoticed without regular checkups, which can lead to conditions advancing to the point of being untreatable.

“I find this quite concerning,” notes Dr. Chelsea Kayed, an optometrist in Cape Breton and head of the Public Education and Children’s Vision Committee for the NSAO. “It means that children’s eye problems are going unidentified and untreated during their critical developmental years.”

Access to the Eye See, Eye Learn program is available for primary and pre-primary children with a valid Nova Scotia MSI card who are found to need glasses during an eye examination.

More information about the program and participating optometrists can be found at www.healthyvisionhealthykids.com.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page