"Part of this effort is educational, because we'll have optometry students assisting with exams, and part of it is outreach, because many of these athletes either don't have access to eye care or don't have the right kind of eyewear for their sports," said Dr. Ralph
Herring, who is the director of the college's external education program and who has
been involved with Special Olympics programs for 18 years.
Supporters in the Gulf Coast area kicked off the Games on Wednesday with a press conference
at the Cullen Family Plaza on the UH campus, which served as this year's starting
line for the annual torch run by area law enforcement officers.
Today the Games begin, and volunteers will roll out a variety of health screenings
as part of the Special Olympics' Healthy Athletes program, which emphasizes vision,
hearing, dentistry, podiatry, general fitness and nutrition.
"We never get to evaluate everyone, because we're there for a short time, and there
may be as many as 2,500 athletes competing. We expect, however, to screen between
200 and 250 athletes over two days," said Herring. "We'll have more than two dozen
volunteers from UH, including students, faculty, staff and alumni."
The athletes' need for proper eyewear is profound, especially if they're playing high-impact
sports that require prescription or protective goggles, Herring said.
According to organizers, of the athletes who underwent vision screenings at the past
four international Games, 32 percent had never had an eye exam, and 26 percent needed
new glasses, because their existing pairs either had incorrect or outdated prescriptions
or were otherwise unsuitable.
"Some athletes don't have eyewear at all, or they don't have a pair that they can
wear during sports," Herring explained. "Many live at home with family who don't want
their athletes to get their glasses broken, so they might be competing in a visually
demanding sport like basketball at a level less than their potential."
Access to care is another issue, according to Herring.
"Many health care providers aren't comfortable working with this patient population.
Athletes and their families often don't know where to find providers who understand
their special needs," he said. "We, therefore, recruit doctors to the Games to train
them and show them that it is not as challenging as they may think."
Dr. Paul Berman, who founded the Opening Eyes program, said the relationship Special
Olympics Texas has with the UH College of Optometry has helped make the effort "one
of our premier events."
"Thousands of athletes have benefited from this community service by the college and
its constituents," he said. "Through the generosity of Lions Clubs International,
Essilor and Safilo, the athletes actually receive glasses and sunglasses - to protect
them from ultraviolet radiation."
Meanwhile, Herring said he is also working with different medical specialists and
local Special Olympics staff members to one day provide similar health screenings
to Houston-area athletes.
"Most of your athletes don't compete beyond a local competition. You have thousands
participating in our area year round," he explained. "Our goal is to turn this effort
into a health event that we can bring in the local athletes and care for them right
here in Houston."
The 2009 Summer Games at the University of Texas at Arlington run through Sunday.
For more information about Special Olympics, visit www.specialolympics.org.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas' premier metropolitan research and teaching institution,
is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300
partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse
research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research
and service with more than 35,000 students.
About the UH College of Optometry
For more than 50 years, the University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO) has
trained optometrists to provide the highest quality eye and vision care. One of only
17 optometry schools in the United States, UHCO offers a variety of degree programs,
including Doctor of Optometry (O.D.), a combined Doctor of Optometry/Doctor of Philosophy
(O.D./Ph.D.), Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). UHCO consists
of 65 full-time faculty, 206 adjunct faculty and 100 full-time staff.
About Special Olympics Texas
Special Olympics Texas provides year-round sports training and athletic competition
in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities,
giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage,
experience joy and participate in the sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with
their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community. For more information,
visit www.sotx.org.
For more information about UH, visit the university's Newsroom at www.uh.edu/newsroom.
To receive UH science news via e-mail, visit www.uh.edu/admin/media/sciencelist.html.