- 80% of what a child learns in a normal classroom setting is through vision.
- 1 in 4 school children (25%) has a vision impairment significant enough to affect learning.
A program of Prevent Blindness Mid-Atlantic
Edward H. Titmus, Jr. Center for Sight,11618 Busy Street, Richmond, VA 23236
a SCHOOL READINESS initiative focused on
PROTECTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF
Where Healthy Eyes and Ears Lead to Success
A mobile preschool vision and hearing screening and education program focused on kindergarten readiness
- Auditory learning accounts for 75% of a child's normal school day.
- 15% of elementary students have some degree of temporary or permanent hearing loss in one or both ears.
Click here to view the W.H.E.E.L.S. segment on CBS6's Virginia This Morning -
May 1, 2012
WHEELS indroduces Dr. Natario Couser, MD as the program's Medical Director. Click here for more information. April 2012
Click here for more WHEELS media and announcements
to see a list of participating schools.

Because vision and hearing play a critical role in a child's success at school, the Richmond Eye and Ear Foundation and Prevent Blindness Mid-Atlantic have teamed up to bring the WHEELS program to area 4-year-old preschool programs as a resource to help assess kindergarten readiness for students by screening their vision and hearing.
WHEELS is a mobile vision and hearing screening program for pre-schools that includes education for students, parents and teachers on the importance of starting school with all of the benefits of healthy vision and hearing.
The program services pre-kindergarten students in preschools in the following areas of Virginia:
The cities of Richmond, Colonial Heights, Hopewell and Petersburg;
The counties of Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, Goochland, Powhatan, New Kent, Charles City, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Westmoreland, Amelia, Nottoway and Cumberland.
* Because of the set-up time involved, we require a minimum of 10 students in the pre-K program.