It is never too early to begin preparing when facing a vision-related challenge. When Malia Thibado received her CCTV on 10/16/09, she was a preschooler able to identify colors and letters, but not yet reading. The training conducted at the Sight Savers America office was first given to her mother, then Malia under her mother’s supervision. She has since started school and is quickly learning phonics and to read. Continue reading
Emily and Sarah are sisters who share the same vision issues that introduced them to Sight Savers. They also share a CCTV that is very helpful to both girls with their homework and for reading books from the public library … Continue reading
Before she started using the CCTV, Angel was making only passing grades in kindergarten. After she began using it, Angel performed much better in school. The CCTV reduced eye strain, causing less frustration.
Liam White was already a gifted student when he received a computer with JAWS (Job Access With Speech) software on 6/18/2008. In the second grade he was reading all Braille on a fourth grade level. Liam won a Braille competition and went to California to compete on a higher level. He is the only child in Alabama to ever win this opportunity. Continue reading
Christian uses his CCTV every day. He struggled more in school before getting a CCTV. The CCTV made it easier for his sister and him to do independent reading and research, which was important because he had no access to equipment … Continue reading
Mason is a typical boy, with the exception of having low vision and a prosthetic eye, which caused some problems with reading. To assist him, Mason received a 6×16 monocular telescope, a compact portable magnifier and glasses.
Shelby has Stargardts’s disease. In addition to glasses, it was recommended that she use a CCTV. Shelby was provided a CCTV by Sight Savers America. She was very excited to receive it and quickly learned to use it.
Christian was born at 24 weeks and is a twin to brother, Bryce. He received a CCTV that he uses daily to assist with school work and for personal enjoyment.
Josh and Zachery are brothers and both have albinism and low vision. They received a CCTV and large print books and magnifiers also aid the boys with their school work.
The CCTV that Christopher Blake received was another important aid that empowered the then fourth grader.
Based on a doctor’s recommendation, Sight Savers purchased Adran Delain a CCTV and other vision aids in 2007. This equipment dramatically improved Adran’s education, social development, his self esteem and motivation. Adran’s mom informed Sight Savers, “being able to see more things, has built his self esteem so much that he went on a diet and lost about 80 lbs. He is studying for the ACT test, and he bought the study guide with his birthday money.” Continue reading
The CCTV Simon received was useful with completing home schooling studies and also reading cooking instructions, which promotes his independence.
Hannah is gaining independence through the use of a CCTV, a book stand and magnifier at home. Having access to aids both at home and school kept her on path toward academic success.
At a time when most young people are excitedly planning their futures, a disease was causing Charlie Johnston’s vision to fail. He was not deterred in his goal to complete his education. Charlie’s CCTV was delivered on 4/1/2003 and was useful in his preparation for studies at Shelton Sate Junior College and later, the University of North Alabama. Continue reading
Dana was almost nine years old when she received her CCTV. She used it daily to help with homework, which made it easier to remain on the honor roll.
BIRMINGHAM, AL -
Sight is something many of us may take for granted, but for millions of children in America their vision is one thing they’d like to improve.
One local young woman has made it her goal to help visually impaired children in our area.
That person is Miss Jefferson County Hayley Barber.
This collaborating on a program called “Sight Savers America.”
“We provide comprehensive eye care for over 40,000 children each year through a network of child referral agencies, medical providers and other eye care professionals,” according to sightsaversamerica.org. “This children’s eye care network provides vision screenings, eye exams, eyeglasses, medications, surgeries, low vision assessments, vision aids and other therapeutic vision treatments. We also coordinate transportation, medical insurance and follow-up care. We perform comprehensive, school-based, head to toe health screenings for over 30,000 children each year; including blood pressure, BMI, respiratory rate, ear/nose/throat, temperature, dental, vision, hearing, and medical insurance status.”
Also, “Singing for Sight” is tonight at Westwood Baptist Church in Birmingham.
It starts at 5 p.m.
Help improve a child’s life by having your teeth whitened. Sound easy? That’s because it is. The 15th annual Smiles For Life Campaign begins today, which means dental patients nationwide can brighten a child’s future just by visiting local Crown Council dentist Dr. James Sanderson.
For the first time, he could see the spikes in the wheels in his toy cars. He could watch when his parents scratched their faces, instead of just seeing their forms. He could watch TV from across the living room instead of two feet away. He is learning to write letters and color inside the lines before he starts kindergarten in the fall.
from Western University of Health Sciences’ Eye Care Center worked with Sight Savers American, a national not-for-profit organization that provides free vision care for economically disadvantaged children, to get KayleeAnn the device known as the Optelec MultiView electronic video magnifier, also referred to as an EVM.
KayleeAnn has a detached retina and dislocated lenses resulting in low vision.
She was born with the lenses in her eyes out of place, said Dr. Robert Gordon, associate dean of clinical affairs at Western University’s College of Optometry.
Although KayleeAnn underwent surgery recently to place an artificial lens in one eye she still can’t see very well and she has vision problems with her other eye, he said.
It has already been a very merry Christmas for one 11-year-old girl in Lauderdale County.
Thanks to the efforts of Sight Savers America, Kalee Guin, who suffers from a severe visual impairment, received life-changing assistive technology on Thursday at her home on Wesley Chapel Road. If seeing is believing, then watching Kalee read without losing her place was a miracle in the making.
“When she first used the device in the doctor’s office in October it was a huge difference,” said Guin’s mother, Sally Long. “We believe this will be the answer to her problems of reading.”
Guin was referred to Sight Savers America by Dr. Dawn DeCarlo at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation. Guin was born with cerebral palsy. She also has strabismus and optic atrophy, resulting in low vision. Low vision is a medical term defined as “chronic disabling visual impairments that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses, or medical or surgical treatment.”
“She can see fine to move around. It is just when she tries to read her school work or read a book where the problem really is pronounced,” said Long.
“I’m so happy to get this,” said Guin, as she watched representatives with Sight Savers set up the monitor and camera system. “I love math and I think this will really help me do my homework much better.”
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