This photo was taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photography: Steve Wood)For the seventh year in a row, free eye exams and glasses will be provided to people in need in the Birmingham area during the annual Gift of Sight event. Organized by UAB Community Eye Care, the clinical arm of the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, and sponsored by VSP Insurance and Remote Area Medical, the event will run through Dec. 11.
Gift of Sight provides comprehensive eye exams and glasses to low-income or underinsured people who are in need of vision and eye care.
“Routine eye care is much more than glasses. There are many ocular conditions and disorders that cannot be detected until you have a thorough eye exam,” said Janene Sims, O.D., Ph.D., associate professor at the School of Optometry. “This year, we found someone with a retinal detachment and another with glaucoma. The detachment can be treated with surgery, and medications can be prescribed for glaucoma. The eyes can tell us so much about a patient systemically, and can help us identify hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol.”
People who qualify for the program are those who do not have vision insurance, who are currently on food stamps or whose income falls within the poverty guidelines. Additional precautions are in place this year due to COVID-19, including mask requirements and temperature checks.
Eye exams will be provided to those who have applied ahead of time. To participate, email GiftofSight@uab.edu and ask for an application.