OHIO, USA — Governor Mike DeWines's State of the State address created the Children's Vision Strike Force last month.
The strike force was created to address the gap between children getting eye exams at school and receiving follow-up care at an optometrist, which includes glasses.
Cities across the state hope the strike force will take decisive action to remedy this issue.
Dr. Shane Foster, the president of the Ohio Optometric Foundation, passionately shares his excitement about helping kids see what they are learning.
"I think there's a huge buzz around the state for the Children's Vision Strike Force and what this could do for all of our communities in the state as a whole. You know we are going to set the tone for the entire nation regarding how to take care of students' vision and give them better tools to get their education," said Foster.
The statistics shocked Foster when he heard how many students don't have proper glasses to see what is being taught in school.
"When we find out that of the kids who are identified in these screenings, you know, 80 percent or more are not going on to get the eye care and glasses that they need, and that's a horrible statistic, and we need to do something about that," said Foster.
The Ohio Optometric Foundation says its goal is to help the Children's Vision Strike Force identify students who need eyeglasses and help them reach their educational goals.
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