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Illinois enacts childrens’ eye exam law
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Despite a veto from the governor, Illinois recently became the third state in the nation to require comprehensive eye exams for children.
The state’s general assembly overrode an amendatory veto by Gov. Rod Blagojevich that would have allowed health professionals other than optometrists or ophthalmologists to conduct the eye exams.
“Essentially, the governor [attempted to] gut the bill and make it a vision screening bill instead of a complete eye exam bill,” Michael G. Horstman, executive director of the Illinois Optometric Association (IOA), told Primary Care Optometry News in an interview.
“Our members were strong advocates in the belief that for (the exams) to be successful we needed to make sure the right professionals were doing them,” Sharon Teefey, legislative director for the Illinois Federation of Teachers, said in an interview with PCON. “We felt that just like an immunization, this becomes a key part of coming to school.” The Illinois Federation of Teachers represents more than 90,000 members including teachers and paraprofessionals in the state.
Law carries penalty
Senate Bill 461, which was backed by the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Parent Teacher Association, Vision First Foundation and the IOA, was passed into law without the governor’s signature and takes effect Jan. 1, 2008.
The law requires that all children entering kindergarten or enrolling for the first time in public, private or parochial schools in the state undergo a complete eye exam and show proof of that before Oct. 15 of the school year. The law is the first of its kind to carry a penalty for noncompliance, Mr. Horstman said. School districts can hold a child’s report card until proof of an eye exam is given.
Advocate ‘thrilled’
Concerned parent Janet Hughes has been a proponent of the bill since the school vision screening missed her daughter’s high refractive error 6 years ago.
“Vision screenings are inadequate,” Mrs. Hughes told PCON. “They have been used in place of eye examinations, and I think that’s wrong. Our kids deserve better than that.”
Through Mrs. Hughes’ efforts, Illinois became the first state with a vision screening disclaimer in 2003. “It states that a vision screening ‘is not a substitute for a complete eye and vision evaluation by an eye doctor,’” Mrs. Hughes explained.
Mrs. Hughes said she was happy with the disclaimer, but wanted to fight to take it a step further and require comprehensive eye exams.
Mrs. Hughes formed Vision First Foundation and hopes to help more states enact comprehensive eye exam laws. “The education has not been there to inform parents, schools and legislators about how important this is,” she said. “Vision First aims to be a leading resource and advocate for children’s vision. Our mission is to raise the standards of eye care. No child should experience school with an undetected and untreated eye or vision problem.”
The third state
Illinois, which already requires children to have a dental exam in grades K, 2 and 6, is the third state to enact a comprehensive eye exam law, behind Kentucky and Missouri.
Since the Kentucky law went into effect 7 years ago, 13% of the state’s children to have been identified as needing corrective lenses, 3.4% have been diagnosed with amblyopia and 2.3% with strabismus, according to information from the American Optometric Association.
The Missouri law was passed in June of this year.
“With nearly 25% of school-age children suffering from vision problems, this law is necessary to help detect problems and treat and prevent diseases that cause vision loss,” Peter H. Kehoe, OD, FAAO, president-elect of the AOA and a Galesburg, Ill., optometrist, said in an AOA press release.
Ten million children have vision disorders, according to the National Parent Teacher Association. Nationally, about 86% of children entering first grade do not receive an eye exam.
For more information:
- The Illinois Optometric Association can be reached at 304 West Washington, Springfield, IL 62701; (217) 525-8012; fax: (217) 525-8018; e-mail ioa@ioaweb.org; www.ioaweb.org.
- The Illinois Federation of Teachers can be reached at P0 Box 390, Westmont, IL 60559; fax: (630) 571-1204; e-mail info@ift-aft.org.
- Janet Hughes can be reached at Vision First Foundation, PO Box 412, Lemont, IL 60439; (630) 772-7684; e-mail janethughes@visionfirstfoundation.org www.visionfirstfoundation.org.