Media Advisory: Many Indianapolis Children Will Start School Year With Undiagnosed Vision Problems

10 Million Children in U.S. Suffer From Vision Problems; 30 Percent Will Not Receive Proper Care

70 Percent of Juvenile Offenders Have Undiagnosed Vision Problems; Eye Exams Can Address Underlying Factors Contributing to Juvenile Delinquency

THE STORY     Undiagnosed vision problems in children is a growing issue
              that contributes to a child's performance in school and
              overall behavior. Many children are struggling with issues at
              school and at home that are stemming from unidentified and
              undiagnosed vision problems.

WHAT          The Julian Center and Eyeglass World team-up to identify
              local Indianapolis children who are in need of eyeglasses,
              and provide them with proper eyewear free-of-charge.

WHEN          Monday, August 13, 2007; 9 a.m.-12 noon. (Event will be
              attended by children in need, and is not open to the public.)

WHERE         The Julian Center, 2011 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis

WHO           Indianapolis youth and their parents, local Indianapolis
              optometrist, Julian Center director Carleen Miller.

THE FACTS     Approximately 80 percent of all learning during a child's
              first 12 years is obtained through the eyes; 86 percent of
              children do not receive an eye exam during that time.
              (Journal of Behavioral Optometry)

              More than 70 percent of juvenile offenders have undiagnosed
              vision problems. Eye exams can address some of the underlying
              factors contributing to juvenile delinquency, and can lead to
              proper vision correction in children who might otherwise
              struggle with learning and behavioral issues. (Study:
              Vision's Relationship to Delinquency, Illiteracy and Learning
              Problems)

              Children who do not receive proper vision care generally
              perform significantly below their capability in school and
              during extracurricular activities. Many children who are
              doing poorly in school have undiagnosed vision problems and,
              after receiving the proper care, significantly improve their
              grades and behavior. (American Optometric Association)

              Nearly 30 percent of the children identified during vision
              screenings as needing professional eye and vision care or
              treatment do not comply with the recommendations and receive
              that care. (Study: Baltimore Vision Screening Project)

              10 million children in the U.S. suffer from vision problems,
              and vision disorders are the leading cause of handicapping
              conditions in children. (National Parent Teacher Association)

JULIAN        The Julian Center is a nonprofit agency providing counseling,
CENTER        safe shelter and education for survivors of domestic
              violence, sexual assault, and other life crises. Through
              outreach and consultation, it seeks to educate the community
              about the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault and
              its impact. More information can be found at
              www.juliancenter.org.

EYEGLASS      Eyeglass World is a leading retailer of eyewear with 62
WORLD         stores in 23 states across the country and offers a wide
              selection of more than 2,000 name brand frames. Eyeglass
              World's on-site labs can manufacture any prescription in as
              fast as one hour.