August

2014

Issue

No. 3

VisionQuest 20/20 View

August is Children's Eye Health and Safety Month

As another school year begins, parents are busy buying school supplies to prepare their child with the best opportunity to learn. However, the most important tool a child needs to learn is their eyesight. Up to 1 in 4 children have a vision disorder and 1 in 20 children are at risk for Amblyopia or permanent vision loss if undetected. An undiagnosed vision disorder can affect a child's academic achievement, athletic performance and even their social development. Children do not have the frame of reference to know whether they are seeing clearly. Many times a blurry world is all they have ever known. Ask your child's school to use updated vision screening technology and schedule your child for a vision exam every year especially if you suspect a vision problem.

Signs Your Child May Have a Vision Problem

Avoiding Reading
Frequent Eye Rubbing or Blinking
Wandering or Crossed Eyes
Family History of Vision Problems
Tilting head sideways or in an unusual way to read
Squinting
Difficulty identifying objects far away
Short attention span

Protect Your Child's Eyes

When playing sports, children should wear eye protection made with polycarbonate lenses.
Keep sprays and chemicals out of the reach of children.
Keep BB guns and laser pointers away from children.
Put plastic covers on furniture corners
Purchase age appropriate toys that meet the national safety standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (toys will be marked "ASTM").
Avoid toys with spikes, sharp points or dangerous edges.
Do not allow children to use or play with fireworks.
Children should wear sunglasses in bright sun. Over-exposure to UV rays can damage eyes.

Renew EyeSpy 20/20™ and Receive Lifetime Unlimited Vision Screenings

You can bring the most reliable and innovative vision screening method to your school today for the price of a cup of coffee. Nurses and district leaders love the simplicity of our new pricing model. Those already using EyeSpy 20/20 can change to our new pricing model and receive:

Unlimited vision screenings with NO annual renewal fee.
Improved vision screening accessory package.
Districts wishing to add more schools, receive Lifetime Unlimited Vision Screenings for only $495 per school.

EyeSpy 20/20™ at the NASN 2014 Conference

EyeSpy 20/20 was demonstrated at the School Health exhibit booth at the National Association of School Nurses 46^th Annual Conference in San Antonio, TX this Summer. EyeSpy 20/20 was featured among the newest technology in vision screening. Our VisionQuest 20/20 representative enjoyed meeting many nurses dedicated to providing children with the very best healthcare solutions available. As a non-profit organization, our mission is to protect children from undetected vision disorders through accurate and reliable vision screenings. Our partnership with School Health supports VisionQuest 20/20's commitment by making the EyeSpy 20/20 vision screener available to schools across the nation. We are pleased serve nurses who work everyday to ensure children are healthy and ready to learn.We look forward to being the vision screening and data collection solution for schools across the country.

AZ Congresswoman Krysten Sinema's Office
Working with VisionQuest 20/20

Arizona Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema's #AZ09 office is working with VisionQuest 20/20 to help Arizona kids gain access to affordable and accurate vision screenings to not only succeed in school, but prevent lifelong health challenges. Recently, representatives from VisionQuest 20/20 had the opportunity to speak with Rep. Kyrsten Sinema's Arizona and Washington D.C. offices about the issue of undetected vision disorders in children and cost-effective solutions to this public health issue. We are excited for a special briefing we will be giving to Congressional Staff Members on Capitol Hill this September. Currently, Arizona is one of only 8 states in the nation that does not mandate school vision screenings. If you are interested in learning more about VisionQuest 20/20's education and outreach efforts, contact Monica Hecker, Director of Outreach and Education at [email protected]. You can also click here to help raise awareness by taking a moment to email your legislative representative and ask them to support a mandate for updated vision screening technology in your schools.

Donate Your Working Poor Tax Credit to VisionQuest 20/20's Efforts

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, donations to VisionQuest 20/20 are eligible for the Working Poor Tax Credit. Donating to VisionQuest 20/20 helps fulfill our mission of educating, advocating and protecting children from undetected vision disorders. Through the Arizona Working Poor Tax Credit you receive a dollar for dollar reduction in your Arizona state taxes (up to $200/single, $400/joint). You do not need to itemize and this does not conflict with the Arizona Education Tax Credit. You can contribute to both and receive tax credits for both.

Because Every Child Deserves to See