Low Vision Clinic
The Oregon Lions Statewide Low Vision Clinic (LVC) has been helping children with severe visual impairments since 1986.
Each year the clinic provides comprehensive low vision exams for approximately 130 children resulting in new strategies for learning at home and thriving in school. The clinic lives up to its name by serving children in all reaches of the state from Coos Bay to Ontario and Portland to Ashland.
Dr. J.P. Lowery, a Pediatric Optometrist from Pacific University, travels throughout Oregon working with students and their families to determine their low vision needs. A teacher or school representative working with regional programs for the visually impaired typically refers the students. After their evaluation and diagnosis, students are eligible to receive free low vision aids or other necessary devices that help the child to boost their learning. Most children can benefit from two devices, a monocular telescope for distance vision and a magnifier for close reading.
How to Access this Program
Clinics are scheduled yearly by each Regional Program for Students with Visual Impairment throughout the state. Any child with visual impairment may access the clinic through their teacher of the vision-impaired.
To learn more about the Low Vision Clinic, please call OLSHF at 503-413-7399 or email your contact information and request to Info@OLSHF.org.
Meet Ady: An LVC success story
The goal of the Oregon Lions Statewide Low Vision Clinic (LVC) is to provide low vision assessments that help parents, teachers, and educational specialists better understand each child’s visual impairment and make recommendations to boost skills in the educational setting.
The LVC provided educationally focused low-vision exams for 73 students for the 2019-20 school year. The evaluations required 96 hours over 15 clinic days by the LVC optometrist, Dr. JP Lowery, for preparation, assessment and consultation, plus one in-service hour. These services were provided at 10 locations throughout the state, with the optometrist traveling approximately 2,200 miles.
Our clinic dispensed fifteen low vision aids (LVAs) to students throughout the school year. A Taptilo (braille learning device) was also recently purchased to help a young girl – see story below. The LVC has always provided standard optical low-vision aids to children from low-income families free of charge.
This is Adalynne “Ady” – a bright, three-year-old girl who has bilateral Optic Nerve Hypoplasia. She will enter preschool in the fall. Dr. Lowery previously evaluated Ady with her vision teacher, Mary Fran Anderson. All children with severe visual impairment or blindness are eligible to receive braille instruction through a Teacher of the Vision Impaired.
Ady started braille learning recently, but she lacked a proper tool to help engage her in reading. She won’t have access to any direct braille instruction due to COVID impacts.
Ady’s mom, Erica, reached out to inquire about the Taptilo device for teaching braille. The cost of the device was out of reach for Ady’s family, and at this time, because of COVID, funds at the school district were frozen. That's when Dr. Lowery and the Low Vision Clinic stepped in to help. With BVIS funds, the Foundation purchased the device. Erica is thrilled that Ady's literacy will increase thanks to access to the device and the kind support of Lions! She is interested now in joining her local Lions Club.
Adalynne will greatly benefit from the Taptilo device and boost her learning before she starts preschool.