Kiama’s Little Nippers will be the first young people in the district to receive free vision screening tests on Sunday 3 March as part of the Lions Club’s Australia-wide Children’s Vision Screening program.

The program, which runs under Lions Eye Health Program Australia, will see members of the Kiama Lions Club carry out screenings for kids in the Little Nippers Club in partnership with the Kiama Surf Life Saving Club.

Children will be tested on three different criteria: visual acuity, colour vision, and stereo depth perception. Screens will use a camera standing a metre away that takes a photo of the eye and can look for astigmatisms, near and farsightedness, anisometropia and other visual issues.

It’s important to note that Lions members won’t diagnose children for any conditions. They’re results will be sent home and, if necessary, a visit to an eye specialist will be recommended.

The screening process is simple enough that anyone can be trained in a relatively short amount of time to perform screenings. Anyone interested can learn online, and it only takes about an hour to become certified. John Larkins, President of the Kiama Lions Club said the club is aiming to have at least six screeners, but preferably half a dozen. 

Participants will have the opportunity to get trained up on the morning of the first screening on 2 March, and the Lions Club will begin screening around lunchtime.

The Children’s Vision Screening is an Australia-wide initiative, but Kiama will be the first club in the N2 district to roll out the program.

The Lions Club has made vision one of its core priorities at an international level, and in Australia, the Lions Eye Health Program has been running since 2000. 

The screening tests are a vital service when you consider that one in five children has an undetected vision problem, which can have a profound impact on their entire lives, especially education. You can learn more about the program here.