Angelina Davis is an 11 year old from Davidsonville, Maryland. She was born with congenital cataract, preventing her from seeing through the center of her right eye. But when her school was unable to give her needed learning accommodations, or even recognise many of her visual problems, Angelina spoke up.
Angelina is standing up for sight! Will you?
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Posted by See Now on Tuesday, 5 September 2017
Having seen specialists all her life, Angelina had difficulty using her eyes together and was diagnosed with a range of visual impairments. Reading causes daily headaches, and she has missed class 37 times this academic year.
Angelina had a few requests from her school to accommodate her vision loss. Providing large print textbooks and hand-outs, turning off unnecessary lights, and offering quiet space during exams would give Angelina the opportunity to learn to her full capability.
Instead, her school denied accommodations and support for Angelina. So, Angelina decided to speak up for sight.
Alongside other families with children who have vision problems, Angelina spoke at a hearing at her state’s House of Delegates Maryland. The Visual Impairment Screening and Training Bill was proposed to make sure Maryland state schools would recognise all vision problems and provide accommodations for children as necessary.
“Hi, my name is Angelina Davis. I have two kittens and two puppies. I like to sing, dance, and act. I have a cataract in my right eye that has caused other vision impairments.”
Angelina’s speech was so moving that the Senate and audience gave her a round of applause.
Thanks to Angelina’s moving speech, the bill passed unanimously. Since then, her school has offered her a Chromebook and further accommodations to support her needs.
Sight issues like Angelina’s are more common than people imagine. 1 in every 4 children in the U.S. has a vision problem, and not all children are receiving the eye care they need.
That is why Angelina and her family with others are continuing to speak up for sight. They are hoping to get all states to agree to recognise all vision problems and provide accommodations for kids who need them.
While 1 in 4 children in the U.S. have a vision problem, our nation is facing severe cuts to vision and eye health programs that help kids like Angelina.
You can help by asking your representative to save the sight of millions. Click here for an easy way to contact them directly:
