The Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children (EDVI) Act Introduced in Congress
The Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act of 2024 (EDVI Act) is landmark, bipartisan legislation that seeks to establish the first federal program that will specifically address children's vision and eye health. Passing this important legislation would indicate Congress’s commitment to protecting the eyesight of our nation’s children and preventing avoidable vision loss and blindness in children.
Despite the presence of numerous public health programs that support early childhood development, including children’s hearing and oral health, there is currently no established national-level program in the United States that specifically addresses children’s vision or that fosters a cohesive and equitable system of eye health for children. State laws to address children’s vision vary widely in approaches and often lack protocols for referrals to eye care providers and documentation to ensure eye care was received. States may also lack the necessary resources to adequately capture data on rates of received eye care, leading to challenges in addressing existing disparities among demographic sub-populations or in rural or under-resourced communities.
The goal of the EDVI Act is:
To ensure that every child with a possible vision problem is identified and connected to appropriate eye care,
To support early childhood professionals, health care providers, public health professionals, and families with updated and evidence-based vision screening methods and established referrals to care, and
To advance follow-up protocols to ensure that children who need eye care treatment receive it before a vision problem leads to potential vision loss.
Check out this video by one of the EDVI Act co-sponsors, Congressman Marc Veasey from Texas.