In 2020, more than 1.5 million Ohioans over the age of 40 were affected by vision loss. And according to the social services organization Prevent Blindness Ohio, the prevalence of vision problems in the state is continuing to rise.
David Monder is the Director of Community Services for Prevent Blindness Ohio. He says that rising rates of blindness can be avoided if people have access to proper medical care early on and trying to treat blindness later in an individual's life becomes more and more expensive.
“The estimated financial burden to Ohio's economy due to vision problems, refractive errors, visual impairment and blindness for all age groups across the board is $6.1 billion annually,” said Monder.
Prevent Blindness Ohio offers free vision screenings for everyone, including school screenings for children. They also offer referrals for uninsured people.
