Vision to Learn returns to Baltimore County Public Library this summer to provide free eye exams and glasses to children.
“We are delighted to welcome back Vision To Learn to our library branches,” said BCPL CEO Sonia Alcántara-Antoine. “By providing free eye exams and glasses to students, we are actively investing in the academic success and overall well-being of our community’s youth. It’s another way the library is working as a community connector.”
Many children in underserved communities often lack access to proper eye care. By partnering with the nonprofit Vision To Learn, the library hopes to close the “glasses gap” and help children have the tools they need for the upcoming school year, according to a BCPL news release.
Appointments are available for children 17 and under at 15 branches. Pre-registration is required. Space is limited; the spots are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Families must register in person at the branch of their choice and a parent or legal guardian must sign a consent form, available at the branch, the release said.
On the day of the program, each appointment is 10 to 15 minutes, which includes an exam, glasses selection and equipment cleaning between patients. All participants need to be able to identify and verbalize basic shapes during the eye exam.
If glasses are required, further examination is provided by a licensed optometrist. The child is then able to choose from a large selection of frames. The order is processed, and the new glasses arrive within two to three weeks.
Vision to Learn will be at the following branches on the following dates:
- Cockeysville, June 27, Aug. 10 and Aug. 24
- Owings Mills, July 21
- Arbutus, July 24
- Rosedale, July 25 and Aug. 7
- Sollers Point, July 27 and July 31
- Loch Raven, Aug. 3
- White Marsh, Aug. 8 and Aug. 17
- Randallstown, Aug. 9 and Aug. 15
- Woodlawn, Aug. 14
- North Point, Aug. 25.