Contact: Ernie Blazar 202-224-7627 Shana Stribling 224-0309
Monday, November 26, 2001

ST. LOUIS - Senator Kit Bond today announced $500,000 in federal funding for a mobile vision screening unit for the St. Louis Metropolitan area. The funds, appropriated to the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), were included in the VA-HUD spending bill. As ranking member of the Senate VA-HUD Subcommittee, Bond secured the money for the vision unit.

“These dollars will allow more kids to receive quality eye care service,” said Bond. “We must not lose sight of St. Louis’ children. No child should be left behind in this effort to protect and enhance healthy vision.”

UMSL will use the funds to purchase, renovate and equip a used RV with on-board dual generators. The RV will include space to house an examination room, equipment and wheel chair accommodations. The mobile unit will travel to schools and preschools in the St. Louis area to provide on-site vision screening and examinations to children.

For the past 20 years, UMSL School of Optometry has been providing quality, comprehensive, affordable eye care to midtown and north St. Louis through full service facilities and neighborhood clinics. Despite UMSL’s efforts, there are still thousands of St. Louis children with unmet eye care needs – many children are in need of eyeglasses and can’t afford them or have an eye condition which may leave one or both eyes permanently damaged if not identified and treated early in life.

In order to address this need, Bond secured the federal funds so that UMSL can expand its outreach efforts to children. The mobile unit will allow for an increased availability and affordability for all children in the St. Louis Metropolitan area.