April is Sports Eye Safety Month

In the United States, an individual is treated for a recreation- or sports-related eye injury in a hospital emergency department every 13 minutes, according to eye health advocates. Over half of these are suffered by children and may result in vision loss or loss of an eye.

But when children wear proper eye protection, 90% of these eye injuries can be prevented.

April is Sports Eye Safety Month, and during this month the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) and its Save Our Sight Program want to remind Ohioans of the importance of protecting their children's eyes and vision.

"When kids know they're protected from eye injuries, they can focus on learning - on the field and in the classroom," said ODH Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA.

To prevent eye injuries, Save Our Sight partners with the Ohio Ophthalmological Society's Superspecs program, where families can apply for free protective eyewear for youth sports and school activities.

Superspecs helps protect kids' eyes while playing sports by providing no-cost baseball and softball helmets with face masks, sports goggles for basketball and soccer, and prescription sports goggles for any activity. Additionally, the program supplies no-cost safety eyewear for career technical programs in dental hygiene, heating and air technology, engineering and architectural design, welding and fabrication, auto body collision and repair, and auto services.

We know that a child's vision directly affects their ability to learn, and for the critical period of kindergarten through third grade, their ability to learn to read. That's why Governor Mike DeWine proposed in his Executive Budget the creation and funding for a new ODH program called Ohio Student Eye Exam (OhioSEE). The program was born out of the Children's Vision Strike Force he created in the spring of 2024.

OhioSEE aims to provide a comprehensive eye exam and glasses to children in kindergarten through third grade who need them. ODH will also partner with community organizations to coordinate and provide screening days for homeschooled students in kindergarten, first, and third grades. Children who fail a vision screening and do not receive a follow-up for eye care will receive a referral to be served through the program.

If passed by the General Assembly in House Bill 96 (the State budget bill), OhioSEE will offer four delivery models for public schools, community schools, and non-public chartered schools - with the choice of model being made at the local level. Models could include mobile vision vans at schools and school-based health clinics. An anticipated 33,000 children are expected to be served by OhioSEE over the next two years.

"The OhioSEE program will ensure children are ready to learn in the classroom," said Dr. Vanderhoff, who chairs the Children's Vision Strike Force. "It complements Save Our Sight's efforts to protect children's eyesight during important physical activities, and it fully aligns with ODH's mission to advance the health and well-being of all Ohioans."