Heckmondwike opticians in school visit in bid to protect eye health for children
An independent opticians in Heckmondwike has visited a Huddersfield school to provide free sight tests to pupils.
The team at Armitage Opticians, situated on Market Street in Heckmondwike, recently visited The Mount School, providing free essential sight tests to 70 children.
The initiative was driven by Sohail and his wife Abra Arshad, who jointly lead Armitage Opticians, as part of a personal mission to improve children’s health outcomes across the communities they serve.
As a result of this screening initiative, the team hoped to ensure that any children who may have been experiencing vision problems were provided with the care needed to prevent this from affecting their learning.
Sohail said: “Many children don’t realise there is anything wrong with their eyesight because it’s simply all they’ve ever known. They assume everyone sees the world the way they do.
“With conditions like myopia and lazy eye, the sooner they are found, the more options there are for treatment. Even colour blindness, which can go completely undetected, can have a significant impact on a child's ability to learn in the classroom.
“As a local independent team, we do not want to see any child held back in their education because of something that could be managed or treated. That is why we are taking this work directly into schools rather than waiting for children to come to us.”
It is generally advised that children should have regular eye exams every one or two years, or as recommended by their optometrist, from the age of three or four. NHS-funded sight tests are available free of charge for all children under 16.
Sohail added: “For parents who aren’t sure if their child is struggling with their vision, some of the key signs to look out for include squinting, sitting closer to the TV or holding reading material closely, rubbing their eyes, or frequently losing their place when reading.
“Children’s eyes are constantly changing as they grow, which can mean that problems that weren’t previously there, or obvious, can become more prominent over a short amount of time.
“As a local independent team, we want to ensure that children aren’t being held back in their education due to their vision, especially if it is something that could be managed or treated.”
Armitage Opticians has been providing eye care within Heckmondwike and surrounding West Yorkshire areas for over 80 years.
To find out more about Armitage Opticians, or to book an appointment, visit: www.abra-opticians.co.uk/armitage-opticians-in-heckmondwike