The following is an excerpt from Monitor’s, Uganda edition, “Special Olympics: Eye opening opportunity” which highlights the Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Foundation Opening Eyes® program.
Special Olympics Uganda has offered free eye testing for more than 200 athletes in a bid to improve the health of athletes with intellectual disabilities.
The one-day camp hosted at Hill Preparatory School Naguru was held in partnership with the Optometrists Association of Uganda, who were marking 10 years of existence.
Special Olympics offers a number of healthy initiatives to athletes including; physical exams, vision/eye health, audiology, dentistry, nutrition, emotional health, physical therapy and podiatry.
Called Opening Eyes, the activity provides vision screenings, refraction, and prescription eyewear, sunglasses and sports goggles to Special Olympics athletes, including prescription swim goggles when appropriate. Athletes who do not have a prescription receive sunglasses.
For many athletes, access to care, and the cost of corrective lenses are all barriers to seeing clearly and performing at their best.
