Analysis Of The Results And Vision Screening Protocol Used At The 2001 Special Olympics Michigan State Summer Games.

Background: Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with mental retardation through participation in organized sports. Since 1989, the Opening Eyes program has been providing vision screenings to athletes participating in the games. This population is particularly at risk for various visual and ocular problems.
Methods: In 2001 at the Michigan State Summer Games, a comprehensive vision screening was given to over 700 athletes. The results of this screening were analyzed to identify the prevalence of certain visual and ocular anomalies in this group. Results: Seven hundred one athletes, ranging in age from 8 to 67 years, were evaluated. Two
hundred sixty-four pairs of eyewear were dispensed including 167 prescription pairs. Of these, 77.8% of the lenses were toric (astigmatic). Almost 100 plano protective eyeglasses were dispensed and almost 200 Rx spectacles were prescribed. Other ocular problems included overt strabismus, lid pathology and optic nerve anomalies. Twenty seven athletes were referred for further care. Conclusions: The results agree with the higher prevalence of refractive errors, including astigmatism. However, our results found less pathology than indicated by other studies, less overt strabismus and that more athletes had regular eye exams than found in previous studies. The Opening Eyes program is becoming more involved every year. The methods
currently used for screening protocol are adequate and provide a relatively easy way to
give thorough screenings with this special population.