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Topics
Glaucoma \| Contact lenses Macular degeneration \| Low vision

CAN - TV Hotline 21 Winter 2001

The Story of ISPB

The Story of Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness
An introduction to eye health topics - Jim McKechnie and Mike Weigus

ISPB was founded in 1916 to prevent needless blindness in Illinois.

Ophthalmia neonatorum and trachoma were our first tasks. Workplace safety laws and statutes to make factories safer (things like safety goggles and other protective eyewear). Next, vision-screening became the major focus for the Society. The ISPB vision screening is now a part of the Illinois Department of Public Health annual program to screen more than one million school age children. This identifies refractive errors and ocular diseases like strabismus and amblyopia that are so important to catch early when they are easier to deal with. Even color deficiency (color blindness) is found in this way. this is important because if a child has this he cannot go into certain fields of employment.

Fireworks
1935-36 fireworks statutes were passed with the assistance of ISPB. These statutes are still in effect today. We will have an entire program on this subject later in March.

Illinois Society for the Prevention of Blindness on CAN TV (Channel 21)

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