Atlanta Public Schools students receive free eye care

ATLANTA - Dozens of Atlanta Public Schools students will soon see the world like they never have before.

Sometimes you don't know what you don't know and if a kid has never been able to see the whiteboard on the other side of the room, they probably think their vision is normal. Ophthalmologists and APS leaders say the free glasses and vision screenings could clear up more than just eyesight.

What was done in the dark on Wednesday at Deerwood Academy will help students see in the light. 

"There's about 60 screenings and anywhere from 20% to 50% [of screened students] will need glasses and further care," said Beth Ehrhardt, the executive director of the Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation (GLLF).

The free eye exams are only possible through a $50,000 donation from KIA. Atlanta Public Schools and GLLF use that donation to bring students the free care many didn't know they need.

By the end of the screenings, students who learned they need glasses get to pick out their own pair.

"Our kids do so much today. They're constantly on and off devices," Principal Joy Antone said.

Too much screen time does cause vision to deteriorate. Georgia has one of the highest uninsured children's rates in the country, with 176,000 going without health coverage. One-in-four Georgia kids have vision loss, which can become a major academic hurdle.

"We've seen children with behavioral problems be diagnosed with various issues," Ehrhardt said.

Volunteers say this partnership has not only opened eyes, but also changed lives.

"Once they can see, those things go away," Ehrhardt said.

Deerwood Academy is the 22nd school GLLF has visited this year. In about a month, the GLLF team will return to give the students their free new prescription glasses.