At its regular meeting on April 17, the Wolf Creek Public Schools (WCPS) Board of Trustees received an important report on a recent professional learning session dedicated to Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI).
The session, hosted by WCPS on March 18, aimed to build capacity among educators and support staff in understanding and addressing CVI in schools.
The event, developed by WCPS Education Services Director Irene Donaldson and led by a contracted visual consultant, drew over 100 participants from across several school divisions, including Maskwacis Education Schools Commission (MESC), Red Deer Public, Red Deer Catholic, STAR Catholic, Chinook's Edge, Wetaskiwin Regional, Wild Rose, Clearview, and Wolf Creek.
Attendees represented a diverse group of professionals working in education and student support services.
Cortical Visual Impairment is a brain-based visual condition resulting from damage to the brain's visual processing areas.
Unlike ocular impairments, which involve problems with the eyes themselves, CVI affects how the brain interprets visual information.
Symptoms can vary widely, from difficulty recognizing faces and objects to poor visual attention or sensitivity to movement and color.
CVI is one of the leading causes of visual impairment in children and is estimated to affect approximately 1 in 30 individuals.
In support of student vision, the MESC is offering the “Clear Vision Bright Future” campaign.
Led by MESC in partnership with Operation Eyesight the campaign will offer free, professional eye exams to students and families from April 28 to May 2 at Nipisihkopahk Elementary School.
The campaign aims to promote early detection and treatment of vision issues to help students thrive in and out of the classroom.
For more information on the “Clear Vision Bright Future” campaign, click here.