ChildSight Launches U.S. Rural Program -- Vision Screening and Prescription-Eyeglass Service -- in New Mexico.Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers LAGUNA PUEBLO Laguna Pueblo or Pueblo of Laguna is a Native American tribe of the Pueblo people in west-central New Mexico, USA. The name, Laguna, is Spanish and derives from the lake located on their reservation. The real Keresan name of the tribe is "Kawaik. , N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 3, 2003 Reaching out to America's rural children, ChildSight(R), a Division of Helen Keller Worldwide, launched its first-ever Rural Program in New Mexico New Mexico, state in the SW United States. At its northwestern corner are the so-called Four Corners, where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah meet at right angles; New Mexico is also bordered by Oklahoma (NE), Texas (E, S), and Mexico (S). to serve the children of the Pueblo Indians (Ethnol.) any tribe or community of Indians living in pueblos. The principal Pueblo tribes are the Moqui, the Zuñi, the Keran, and the Tewan. See also: Pueblo . To reach these rural communities, a fully equipped 35-ft. Mobile EyeCare Unit wheeled into Laguna Pueblo to provide much-needed FREE vision screening and prescription eyeglasses eyeglasses or spectacles, instrument or device for aiding and correcting defective sight. Eyeglasses usually consist of a pair of lenses mounted in a frame to hold them in position before the eyes. on the spot to hundreds of children, ages 9 through 17. Fulfilling the spirit of deaf-blind crusader Helen Keller, reaching the children of Laguna Pueblo Middle School rings true to Keller's dedication to battle blindness in the most medically, underserved communities. A proven success, this premier vision-care service is set to travel into hard-to-reach populations to improve their vision and academic performance: Native America, the Deep South, Appalachia and the U.S.-Mexico border. "Since 1994, ChildSight(R) has provided vision screening to 519,000 students and delivered over 63,000 eyeglasses to urban youth," explained Meredith Tilp, Vice President of ChildSight(R). "We are proud to be at the Laguna Pueblo Middle School in New Mexico today to launch our U.S. Rural Program." From U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell Ben Nighthorse Campbell (born April 13, 1933) is an American politician. He was a U.S. Senator from Colorado from 1993 until 2005 and was for some time the only Native American serving in the U.S. Congress. Campbell was a U.S. , Colorado to Roland Johnson, Governor of Laguna Pueblo, all those in attendance spoke enthusiastically about the partnership between the Pueblo and ChildSight(R). "Hopefully in the months and years to come, the children of Indian Country will be well served through this vision program," said Johnson. Parents, teachers and children were amazed to watch the ChildSight(R) program at work. First off, the ChildSight(R) staff conducted vision screening outside the Mobile EyeCare Unit. Then, optometrists refracted re·fract tr.v. re·fract·ed, re·fract·ing, re·fracts 1. To deflect (light, for example) from a straight path by refraction. 2. students. Eyeglasses were dispensed as needed as needed prn. See prn order. . Students who needed additional services were referred to the clinic within the Mobile EyeCare Unit. ChildSight(R), a division of Helen Keller Worldwide founded in 1915, was initiated in 1994 as a small pilot project in Manhattan in cooperation with Columbia University School-based health clinics. Currently, the program is operating in 16 cities across the country. www.childsight.org Helen Keller Worldwide, with headquarters in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , is a non-profit international development organization that prevents blindness and works to improve the survival, health and productivity of vulnerable populations. The agency conducts programs in 24 countries throughout Asia, Africa and the Americas. |
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