SEWELL — Gloucester County continues to offer free eye screenings twice a month for all county children and adults.
This service is provided as a service of the Board of Chosen Freeholders and the NJ Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired in an effort to prevent or limit the impact of vision loss in our county.
Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger said, “Back to school is around the corner and children should have their eyes examined yearly because their eyes can change quickly. An exam can catch vision-related learning problems that make reading difficult.”
Gloucester County provides the free exams for both children and adults. Parents can bring in their children and have their own eyes checked as well. Children under the age of 18 will need the signature of a parent or guardian.
“In this tight economy where many families don’t have insurance for optometry and these free eye exams can really help out. All you need to do to become eligible for a free eye exam is to make an appointment,” said Damminger.
Freeholder Lyman Barnes, the liaison to the Division of Disability Services, said that half of all vision loss could be prevented by early detection of disorders and appropriate follow up care. “Eye diseases, like glaucoma, can cause vision damage and eventual blindness without a person experiencing any symptoms. These diseases are detectable and preventable,” said Barnes.
The Gloucester County Division of Disability Services offers two convenient days for residents to be screened: the second Wednesday of every month from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Gloucester County Health Department in Sewell for working families, and on the last Tuesday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon at Shady Lane Home in Clarksboro.
Please call (856) 384-6142 to make an appointment for a free eye screening. Walk-ins are accepted for glaucoma screenings only.
