Diversity Calendar - World Sight Day

06 November 2023

As part of our Diversity Calendar Students have learnt about World Sight Day, an annual awareness to focus global attention on visual impairment, including blindness.

Students learnt about the challenges people with sight loss face, from trouble accessing services to difficulties finding employment and reduced academic attainment.  At Ivanhoe we always encourage our students to be pro-social and so students discussed ways they could be more aware of people with visual impairments in the community.

Don’t forget children and young people between the ages of 16-18 in full time education are entitled to a free NHS eye test and glasses if needed. Picking up issues with a child’s vision early will have a positive effect on their school experience.

Signs your child might need an eye test

It’s often difficult to tell whether your child has sight problems, which is why regular eye tests are so important. There are a number of things to look out for:

• Straining their eyes or tilting their head to see better
• Frequent eye rubbing
• Losing their place while reading, or using a finger to guide their eyes
• Sensitivity to light and/or excessive tearing
• Falling behind in school
• Complaining of headaches or tired eyes
• The presence of a ‘turn’ in the eye or a misdirection of the eyes
• Consistently sitting too close to the TV or holding a book too close
• Avoiding activities which require near vision, such as reading or homework, or distance vision, such as participating in sports or other recreational activities
• Closing one eye to read, watch TV or see better
• Avoiding using a computer or tablet because it hurts their eyes
• A ‘white reflex’ in photographs. This is similar in appearance to red-eye, except it’s white. It is extremely serious – if you notice it, you should seek medical attention immediately.

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