BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the fourth consecutive year, 20/20 Onsite, the leading provider of on-site vision care, is partnering with Boston Public Schools, the New England College of Optometry, and Warby Parker to provide vision screenings, eye exams, and glasses to BPS children at no cost to their families.
The program, called Vision for Boston, brings eye care to students in their schools. 20/20 Onsite’s licensed optometrists visit schools throughout December and January. All students in participating schools are eligible to receive eye exams at no cost to them, regardless of their insurance coverage. Any student found to need eyeglasses can choose a pair for free.
Massachusetts state law requires all Boston Public School students in grades K0-5, 7, and 10 to receive a vision screening in school each year. Students are screened by BPS nurses and health paraprofessionals as well as NECO students and instructors, who also visit schools to assist with screenings. All students who do not pass their vision screenings are flagged as requiring a full eye examination.
Those students who may have a vision impairment have the opportunity to participate in the Vision for Boston program, where 20/20 Onsite provides students in grades 4-12 a complete, comprehensive eye exam. Any student found to need corrective eyewear can choose a pair of new prescription glasses from Warby Parker, which will be fitted and dispensed by the 20/20 Onsite team. They have designed a line of glasses specifically for students that are part of this program through Warby Parker’s Pupils Project initiative.
“We’re proud of the work we’ve done and the positive impact we’ve had on the Boston community alongside our Vision for Boston partners. Since we created Pupils Project in 2015, we’ve been focused on eliminating barriers to vision care access in schools across the country, while also helping students feel excited by and confident in their glasses. We’re excited to see the program continue to grow in our fourth consecutive year of working together.” - Hannah Kowalski, Director of Social Innovation at Warby Parker
Vision exams take place on board either 20/20 Onsite’s Mobile Vision Clinic, a fully-equipped optometry vehicle parked right outside the school, or 20/20 Onsite’s Mobile Vision Suite, an optometry office set up inside the school. 20/20 Onsite optometrists and vision specialists conduct pre-testing that includes capturing a high-definition image of the retina and an eye pressure test for glaucoma detection, before students receive an eye exam using fully-digital, top-of-the-line equipment.
"We are incredibly proud to continue this program and bring eye exams and glasses to students who need them,” says Sonali Bloom, CEO of 20/20 Onsite. “We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to learn and thrive in the classroom, which starts with seeing clearly. By expanding the Vision for Boston program, we hope to reach more students and make a lasting impact on their experience in the classroom and beyond."
20/20 Onsite’s mission is to expand access to vision care for all. If you’re a school district in Boston and interested in bringing 20/20 Onsite to your students, reach out to Elizabeth Alicakos: ealicakos@2020onsite.com. If you’re a school district outside of Boston and interested in learning how 20/20 Onsite can provide care to your students, please reach out to Sarah Selcer: sselcer@2020onsite.com. Several school districts have partnered with their school board or have successfully applied for grants to bring this program on-site.
About 20/20 Onsite
20/20 Onsite is a health care services company that is transforming the delivery of vision care by radically improving access for patients through state-of-the-art Mobile Vision Clinics. Since 2014, their integrated mobile service delivery platform has taken high value eye care services directly to patients at work, at school, and more recently, at convenient neighborhood locations in the Northeast. In the midst of the pandemic, 20/20 Onsite began bringing ophthalmic assessments to patients in clinical trials or post-marketing safety surveillance programs across the country, increasing access to clinical research. They are disrupting the way eye care is delivered, and are enabling and accelerating fundamental trends toward the consumerization of care and the decentralization of clinical trials.
20/20 Onsite serves 400+ corporate clients, educational institutions, and other organizations with comprehensive eye care for their employees, and their patient base of 70,000+ consistently reports NPS over 93. A portion of the proceeds from the company’s corporate business supports the Vision for Boston program. For more information, please visit www.2020onsite.com.
About Boston Public Schools
The Boston Public Schools (BPS), the birthplace of public education in the United States, serves nearly 55,000 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students in 125 schools. BPS is committed to transforming the lives of all children through exemplary teaching in a world-class system of innovative, welcoming schools. They partner with the community, families, and students to develop in every learner the knowledge, skill, and character to excel in college, career, and life.
About Warby Parker
Warby Parker was founded in 2010 with a mission to inspire and impact the world with vision, purpose, and style–without charging a premium for it. Headquartered in New York City, the co-founder-led lifestyle brand pioneers ideas, designs products, and develops technologies that help people see, from designer-quality prescription glasses (starting at $95) and contacts, to eye exams and vision tests available online and in more than 200 retail stores across the U.S. and Canada.
Warby Parker aims to demonstrate that businesses can scale, do well, and do good in the world. Ultimately, the brand believes in vision for all, which is why for every pair of glasses or sunglasses sold, they distribute a pair to someone in need through their Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program. To date, Warby Parker has worked alongside its nonprofit partners to distribute more than 15 million glasses to people in need.