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Free mobile eye exams and glasses to expand across Madison schools

Madison’s school district is adding two nonprofit partners to bring mobile eye exams and free prescription glasses to students who need follow-up care. Services are set to begin at two schools this week, with the district aiming to eventually reach every student.

Free mobile eye exams and glasses to expand across Madison schools
MADISON, Wis. — Students who do not pass a school vision screening will be able to receive an eye exam at school and prescription glasses at no cost under an expanded Madison Metropolitan School District program launching this week. The district announced Monday, Oct. 5, partnerships with Combat Blindness International and Vision To Learn. Mobile vision services are scheduled to start at two schools, with more schools to be added during the school year. The services are part of the Bright Eyes Program. The district currently screens students in 4K, kindergarten, first, third and fifth grades. It plans to expand screening access in phases, with the goal of reaching all MMSD students. MMSD and Combat Blindness International have screened more than 30,000 students since 2014 and identified thousands who needed follow-up care, according to the district. The new partnerships build on that work by connecting students who fail screenings with exams and glasses without requiring families to arrange and pay for those services on their own. The district has not identified the two schools where mobile services will begin.

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