“Let me win. But if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Special Olympics Oath
The American Optometric Association and the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians
has taken an affirmative role in promoting quality eye care for Special Olympics Lions
Club International Opening Eyes (SOLCIOE) people with intellectual disabilities. is
a comprehensive vision and eye health program put on by Special Olympics in conjunction
with the AOA and supported by Lions Clubs International.
The mission of Opening Eyes Vision and Eye Health Program is to provide quality eye
health care to Special Olympics athletes, to assess the integrity of the athlete's
visual system, to prescribe and dispense appropriate prescription and safety eye wear,
to educate athletes, parents, and coaches about the importance of vision for sports,
education and vocational performance, and to gather and publish data regarding vision,
visual skills and eye health of the Special Olympic population.
The screenings consist of visual acuities, retinoscopy, ophthalmoscopy, color vision,
depth perception, cover test, motilities, biomicroscopy, tonometry, and auto refraction.
Any athlete failing the screening is given a complete refraction on site, and prescriptions
for dress glasses and sport goggles are fabricated on site and given to the athletes
free of charge. Lenses are donated by Essilor, frames are donated by Safilo, sports
goggles are donated by Liberty Optical and lens edgers are donated by Santinelli.
The next vision screening will be held at the Oklahoma Special Olympics Summer Games Thursday May 16, 2024 on OSU campus in Stillwater,
OK. For continued SOLCIOE success, we request assistance from you and your staff. Please register online by fully completing the online form below and pressing the button "Submit" to volunteer
your professional services. Final details regarding the event will be emailed to all volunteers in early May.
SOLCIOE screenings are an invaluable learning and growing experience. Not only will
it be a unique opportunity to meet hundreds of Special Olympics athletes, but it will
permanently alter views and attitudes towards people with intellectual disabilities.
We hope to have as many Lions, doctors, students, and staff as possible to volunteer
their time and talents. All past SOLCIOE volunteers have reported Opening Eyes to
be one of the most rewarding experiences of their careers. In past years we have had over 100 volunteers provide eye care for over 300 Special
Olympics athletes. Please share this opportunity with your colleagues.
As many of you know, I had heart surgery in October and had very significant complications
afterwards. Overall, I am continuing to improve and I am doing well. Dr. Aubry Tackett,
NSUOCO resident, and future faculty member has graciously agreed to help me with the
planning of the Opening Eyes event. I am very thankful for Dr. Tackett’s assistance.
On behalf of the Special Olympics athletes, thank you in advance for volunteering
for this wonderful cause.
Sincerely,
Oklahoma Special Olympics Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes Clinical Directors
| Ryan Fenska, OD fenska@nsuok.edu |
Aubry Tackett, OD |