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State Program Helps Children with Poor Eyesight
Reprinted with permission Kingsport Times-News, date published May 19, 2001.
For the first time in his life, 13-year-old Luke Shipley can read road signs and menus. Shipley, who will turn 14 in August, was born with aniridia, meaning his eyes have no irises and, therefore, his eyes can’t filter light.
“Because of this condition, my eyes constantly bounce in an effort to find a focal point where the light will not hurt them. This is called nystagmus,” he said. “Also, because of the aniridia, my eyes have developed another incurable disease — glaucoma,” an abnormal condition of high pressure in the eye.
He’s legally blind, with unaided vision of 20/300.
In February, Shipley and his family discovered Project PAVE (Providing Access to the Visual Environment) — an outreach program at Vanderbilt University.
“After doing a little checking, we managed to get in contact with PAVE and they said they could help us — and believe me, they have,” he said.
Shipley has been evaluated by PAVE staff and given prescribed optical devices that have opened up a whole new world.
“They have helped me so much. I have seen things with my telescope I didn’t even know existed,” he said. “I can now read menus in fast food restaurants, road signs, license plates, and so much more. The first time I ever got to read a fast food menu, I didn’t have to ask dad what’s on the menu.”
Project PAVE was started in 1994, when Dr. Ann Corn, now PAVE project director, wrote a small grant for about 10 children in the Nashville metro school system and the Tennessee School for the Blind.
When Jennifer Bell joined PAVE in 1997, the program opened up for students all across the state. “That year, we had slots for 50 kids to receive low vision evaluation and comprehensive services,” said Bell, who is PAVE coordinator. “This year, we have three staff members who work directly with the students. We have room for 70 kids this year, but we’ve seen about 112. There’s just such a need for it.”
The project, funded by the Tennessee Department of Education and run through the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt, is in collaboration with the Tennessee School for the Blind. All services are without cost to families and schools.
The project works with children and youth ages 3 through 21 who have certified visual impairments. It provides them with comprehensive low vision services and prepares them for independent visual functioning, to the greatest extent possible.
All supervisors of special education across the state receive written notice of Project PAVE services each August and are asked to disseminate the information to all teachers who have eligible students.
“As soon as we hear from interested parents, we send out permission forms and then we schedule a low vision evaluation for the student,” Bell said.
Low vision evaluations are completed at the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville by two doctors from the University of Houston College of Optometry in Texas. The doctors fly to Nashville three times a year for the evaluations.
Following the evaluation, parents and local education agencies receive written reports listing any recommendations the optometrists determine may be beneficial to the student. The report may include prescriptions for optical devices like monoculars, hand magnifiers and therapeutic contact lenses.
Prescriptions for optical devices are filled by Project PAVE without charge to families or schools. Once the devices are received, a Project PAVE staff member meets with the student, their parents, other family members and appropriate school personnel to discuss use and care of the devices.
“From that first meeting, we’ll set up additional appointments to come back and see the child,” Bell said. “We always travel to the child’s school or to the home. Parents only have to travel for the low vision evaluation.
“It’s really important to provide training with the devices,” she said. “There are so many different things that kids need to do. We can teach them how to focus the device, but they need to learn how to use it in the classroom.”
PAVE staff travels each month to Shipley’s Limestone home, where he is homeschooled, to teach him better ways to use his devices, and occasionally let him try out new ones.
With the use of a small handheld telescope, Shipley’s vision improves to 21/80 and allows him to see signs or objects at a distance.
“Especially with the telescope I can read signs by the road; with the lighted magnifier, prices, fine print,” he said.
He’s tried several pairs of reading glasses, but found those haven’t helped much.
Students typically are in Project PAVE for one year; although, they may be re-evaluated every two years as their vision changes.
The younger the child, the better they can be served through PAVE, Bell said.
“A lot of the students we see ... their ophthalmologist has never mentioned low vision aids,” she said. “We feel it’s best to start them 3, 4, 5 years old so they’ll get used to them. It’s hard to motivate older kids sometimes. There’s just a gap with the early school-age child where they’re not receiving the services they should be.”
A conference for parents and teachers of children with visual impairments will be held June 8-10 in Gatlinburg. “Focusing on the Future” is sponsored by Project PAVE and will bring together parents and teachers to promote a better understanding of how to education children with visual impairments.
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