CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Clinic announced on Wednesday it has received a $1 million gift that will help provide vision screenings and eye exams for children across northeast Ohio. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Cleveland Clinic announced it has received a $1 million gift for its Vision First program

  • The program visits more than 90 schools in northeast Ohio a year

  • Vision First provides children free eye exams and glasses

  • In 19 years, the program has provided 97,000 eye exams and 7,500 glasses for children

The $1 million gift was courtesy of the TransDigm Group, and will help fund the Cleveland Clinic’s Vision First program. The program has a mobile optometry van that will visit elementary schools in underserved communities. 

Experts recommend that vision screenings begin at 12 months to 3 years. 

Vision First was established in 2002 and screenings are conducted at schools in Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, Lakewood, Maple Heights and Warrensville Heights. The program goes to 90 schools per year, the Cleveland Clinic said. 

If a student fails an initial vision screening, optometrists will conduct a full eye exam. Students requiring glasses can pick out frames on the same day of their exam, the Cleveland Clinic said. 

The program has conducted 97,000 free eye exams and provided glasses to 7,500 students during the life of the program. 

“One of the single most important investments that one can make is in the health and future of our children,” said Dr. Elias Traboulsi, founder of Vision First and head of pediatric ophthalmology at the Cleveland Clinic. “This gift from the TransDigm Group will make an immeasurable impact in providing screenings to help combat vision impairment in children with limited access to these vital services.”

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