Prevention of Blindness

One of the primary missions of the Sight Center is the prevention of blindness. To help reach this goal, the Center’s staff perform widespread vision screenings, participate in public education programs highlighting eye health and safety concerns, connect individuals in need to the appropriate resources for assistance with eye exams and eyeglasses run the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) for those at-risk for developing Type 2 diabetes

Vision Screening

Children with poor vision do not necessarily know how well they should see. Their vision may blur, they may see double or have good vision in only one eye. Children often do not complain about vision issues because they simply do not know they should being seeing better and most often, parents are not sure about a child’s vision by simply observing him or her.

The preschool years are the best time to discover eye concerns and allow for maximum results in correction. Many visual problems cannot be corrected if they are not found and treated properly between the ages of 1 and 6.

At the Sight Center, children ages 1 through 6 are screened using a state-of-the-art, non-invasive Welch Allyn Spot Screener along with other tests. Our Center’s traveling vision screeners visit most of the area’s preschools, day-cares and Headstart programs throughout the year. These technologies allow us to search for problems like poor visual acuity, strabismus, and amblyopia.

Vision screening done properly, has a high degree of validity and is endorsed by blindness prevention organizations as an effective way to reach large numbers of preschoolers.

The Sight Center recommends that all children between the ages of 1 and 6 have a professional eye exam. Preschool vision screenings are conducted regularly by appointment. To learn more about our screening process or to schedule a screening, contact us by calling 814-455-0995.

Eye Exam & Eyeglass Program

The Sight Center helps dozens of people every year connect with resources in our community to get the help they need to obtain a free or reduced costs eye examinations and new glasses. For those who are under-insured or who have no health insurance, annual eye exams and proper eye wear can be critical pieces to their health and well-being. It is the goal of the Sight Center to help these individuals to function best in their daily life with maximum visual efficiency, promoting independence and preventing irreversible vision loss.

This effort is made possible through the support of the Erie Lions Club and the Save-an-Eye Fund and the generosity of our local eye doctor community. 

Eligibility: Clients are required to have a current (within 12 months) prescription from an eye doctor and must demonstrate financial need. Qualifications for the program are based on both household income and size. While the qualifications below are guidelines, individuals with extra-ordinary circumstances such as unexpected medical bills, family care or who are suffering from disaster are given special consideration on a case-by-case basis.

Download the Eye Care Application

Once you have filled out the Eye Care application please bring it into the Sight Center of Northwest Pennsylvania or mail it to us at 2545 West 26th Street Erie, PA 16506.

Download Eye Care Application