For Immediate Release
August 5, 2025

Contact: David White
david@publicblueprint.com
(936) 332-1380

Alcon Children’s Vision Center provides eligible students with no-cost comprehensive eye exams and glasses

Fort Worth, TX — As students prepare to go back to school, the Texas Optometric Association (TOA) is highlighting optometrists across the state who are making vision care more accessible to students. For Fort Worth ISD (FWISD) students, the nonprofit organization Alcon Children’s Vision Center (ACVC) provides accessible, no-cost vision care to eligible students who fail their vision screenings. During the 2024-2025 school year, ACVC provided nearly 4,500 eye exams and over 4,500 pairs of glasses and plans to do the same or even more during the 2025-2026 school year.

Launched in 2022, ACVC hosts in-school comprehensive eye exam clinics, bringing a clinic to Title 1 elementary schools across FWISD. Glasses, if needed, are provided at no cost. Eligible middle and high school students with potential vision problems, or those in need of additional treatment, can attend the physical clinic located on the Western Hills Elementary School campus free of charge. Since its founding, the program has delivered over 11,500 comprehensive eye exams and 10,900 pairs of glasses.

“Previous research has shown that 80% of classroom learning is visual, and nearly 1 in 4 school-aged children have a vision problem,” said Kendall Stout, OD, Lead Optometrist at ACVC. “Providing proper vision care is essential to students succeeding in the classroom. The FWISD educators have seen real improvement in students’ test scores, focus, and classroom behavior after utilizing ACVC’s resources,” finished Dr. Stout.

The current standard in most schools is to offer vision screenings, not comprehensive eye exams. While vision screenings can flag some potential issues, they often miss more complex or subtle vision and eye health problems that comprehensive eye exams identify. The ACVC team uses failed screenings as a starting point to identify students who most need full comprehensive exams, closing a critical gap in care. By providing this deeper level of assessment, the program helps ensure students get the support they need to thrive in the classroom.

“We’re incredibly proud to have a program like Alcon Children’s Vision Center serving the students of Fort Worth ISD. The in-school clinic visit system is unique and allows them to meet students in need, right where they are,” said Beth Robinson, President of the Texas Optometric Association. “ACVC has been able to bring their services to students who have never had access to proper vision care. This is a step towards providing them with an equal playing field in the classroom.”

Both children and adults should receive a comprehensive eye exam every year to support lifelong eye health and academic success. Parents can easily find a trusted optometrist by visiting the Texas Optometric Association’s Find a Doctor page: https://texas.aoa.org/find-a-doctor.

About Alcon Children’s Vision Center
The Alcon Children’s Vision Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to help kids learn by helping kids see. In partnership with FWISD, ACVC provides easy access to no-cost, comprehensive eye exams and glasses for eligible students of FWISD. Since its official launch in 2022, the program has provided over 11,500 eye exams and over 10,900 pairs of glasses to students and is funded through a donation from The Alcon Foundation, Inc. More information about the organization can be found here: https://alconcvc.org/. 

About the Texas Optometric Association
Founded in 1900, the Texas Optometric Association (TOA) represents more than 5,000 doctors of optometry, optometry students, and optometric technicians across the State of Texas. The TOA advocates for the profession of optometry at every level and works to advance excellence in eye care for every Texan

To learn more about the program or to schedule an interview, contact David White at the information above.