At the origin, there is Helen Keller, an American woman born at the end of the 19th century, who was deaf and blind. Thanks to her teacher, Anne Sullivan, she managed to communicate with others, learn to read, express herself, and even pursue studies at university. In 1915, she was in France during World War I and created a fund to help soldiers with eye injuries. She also realized that 90% of cases of blindness are preventable and that action can be taken.
She then shifted from support to prevention of disability. She returned to the United States continuing this mission and founded an organization that would grow and expand to Asia, Africa, and then to Europe in 1998.
Globally, the goal is to implement programs for preventing blindness and malnutrition, as well as cataract surgeries. Additionally, a program in France was launched 7 years ago to prevent visual disorders among students in priority neighborhoods, called the Plan Vue.
"In France, about a quarter of the population forgoes healthcare,” explains Anne-Gaëlle Guiard. “This figure is even twice as high in priority neighborhoods.”
Yet, 80% of learning occurs through sight. So a child who cannot see well at the board will not be able to learn properly. With one school doctor for 12,000 students, it is challenging to conduct screenings in schools.
Thus, Helen Keller Europe goes directly into these schools, first to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of one's vision, but also to detect warning signs. “A child who gets up all the time is not necessarily restless; they might just need to move closer to see the board. A child who has a headache at the end of the day or squints is also a sign,” states Anne-Gaëlle Guiard.
After the intervention of orthoptists, appointments can be made at ophthalmology centers, where the association's teams can assist parents if they wish. And all of this comes at no cost to them. Similarly, after meeting with the ophthalmologist, they are offered an appointment with a partner optician.
“We realize that access to healthcare, particularly access to visual healthcare, is truly one of the foundations of equal opportunities,” explains Anne-Gaëlle Guiard. “If a child is not in the right conditions to learn to read, they will accumulate learning delays that will be difficult to catch up on later."
"And a pair of glasses can prevent these difficulties. Thus, Helen Keller's actions really contribute to reducing school dropout rates by addressing the issue at its source.”
