Sisters events focus on the human eye

Approximately one in every five children will develop a problem with vision as they grow up - but how would parents and teachers discover this? What are the causes? What are the treatments? And what are the consequences if ignored?

On Friday, May 18 at 6:30 p.m. Dr. Allison Summers from the Casey Eye Institute in Portland will give a public lecture that addresses these questions. The lecture will be at the FivePine Conference Center and is free to the public.

Dr. Summers is a member of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group at OHSU, exploring the best treatment options for common eye problems, and the OHSU Preschool Vision Screening Study, discovering which vision problems affect Oregon children. She is president of the Oregon Foundation for Vision Awareness, which provides public information about children's vision and coordinates care for Oregon children in need. Dr. Summers trained at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry. 

Dr. Summers will also set up "Eye Wonder," a collection of exhibits on the science of light and vision. The exhibits will be found in Room 138 at Sisters High School, open each day to the public from 3 to 5 p.m. starting May 18. The exhibits will demonstrate how light bends as it passes through fluids and how lenses focus light and create magnification. There will be opportunities to examine 3-D photos and optical illusions as well as make a telescope. There will be demonstrations on how contacts are made and how they may be used for computer screens in the future.

The Casey Eye Institute Outreach Van will be open for walk-thru tours on Friday, May 18. A visitor will be shown exactly how eye exams are performed with modern diagnostic equipment. The van will be found in the parking lot of Sisters Park & Recreation District adjacent to the high school. Tours begin at 9 a.m.

On Saturday the Casey van will be used for free eye exams for low-income and underinsured members of the Central Oregon community. That clinic is full.