Facts & Figures

With undetected vision disorders and blindness among U.S. school children on the rise, VisionQuest 20/20 has made significant strides to promoting a viable and productive solution. Consider the potentially devastating consequences of waiting to introduce a nationwide vision screening program across elementary schools. The facts, figures and statistics speak for themselves:

• Vision problems affect more than 5 million elementary school children nationwide. Poor vision can affect interpersonal skills, resulting in children being labeled as "abnormal".
• Amblyopia, or "lazy eye," is the leading cause of monocular blindness in America. This treatable condition, if left undetected, can lead to lifelong and significant academic, health and psychosocial consequences.
• Conditions like crossed-eyes can lead to amblyopia. Studies have demonstrated that crossed-eye individuals are perceived as less intelligent and are discriminated against academically, professionally and socially.
• When one eye has been blinded by a vision disorder like amblyopia, the risk of suffering blindness in the good eye increases dramatically.
• Blind individuals endure significant emotional and financial trauma including loss of opportunity and income.
• The cost associated with treating someone whose vision has been compromised due to a condition like amblyopia can reach as high as $2,500 per year. However, if disorders like amblyopia are detected in childhood, treatment is typically inexpensive, effective, and the benefits last a lifetime.
• The cost of vision screenings, currently mandated in only 31 states and not required annually, can reach as high as $75. On the contrary, VisionQuest 20/20 screenings can be implemented for about $5 per child.
• Currently, screening rates for school children are considered extremely low because, despite screening mandates in some states, submission of data demonstrating that screenings were conducted may not be required. Thus, information on screening results is fragmented.
• By identifying possible vision disorders through a nationwide screening program, as much as $50 billion in economic impact associated with preventable vision loss could be avoided annually.