Organizational History

Established in 1956 and incorporated in 1965, Prevent Blindness Texas is the state's leading eye health and safety nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight. We focus on improving the state's vision and eye health by enhancing community capacity through our core competencies of early detection, patient support, systems enhancement, public policy, public awareness and health education. More than 50% of all blindness can be prevented, yet this can only occur through these essential interventions.  While we encourage all individuals to seek regular professional eye care, we recognize that this alone is not enough. Interventions such as vision screenings are an essential element of a strong public health approach to vision and eye health care. Prevent Blindness Texas touches the lives of thousands of Texans through our sight-saving programs and services through our network of volunteers and offices located statewide.

Mission

The mission of Prevent Blindness Texas is to prevent blindness and preserve sight. At Prevent Blindness Texas, our vision is vision – making healthy eyes a priority in Texas.  We want to work with our partners across the state so that all children are afforded the benefits of sight as they grow and learn, and that adults are educated about proper eye healthcare and have access to quality eye care. We advocate for the necessary attention and solutions to issues surrounding the aging eye, and that no one endlessly loses their sight due to unsafe practices. We define success when all individuals who need eye care receive it. Our work benefits the community by providing critical eye health information and by working with our partners to provide a continuum of quality vision care to medically under-served Texans, giving them a better quality of life.

Program Services

For over 60 years, PBT has been directly responsible for saving the sight and enhancing the quality of vision life for thousands of Texans. Our primary programming provides critical vision care to Texas’s most vulnerable citizens via vision screenings, eye health and safety education programs, advocacy, referrals for eye exams and eyeglasses for the uninsured, and many other services targeting those Texas residents most at risk for possible vision problems. We are focused on providing program services that promote eye health and prevent vision loss. We educate, screen, navigate, advocate, and provide resources so that clients can adhere to prescribed eye treatment. Last year, we served more than 36,000 individuals across the state by providing screenings, education, navigation services and resources to improve access to vision care and treatment. We provided 8,000 individuals with necessary follow-up services that they would not have been able to receive without Prevent Blindness Texas. In partnership with the eye care and health community, we delivered patient education to more than 16,000 adults and certified more than 700 children adult vision screeners through the only national certification program of its kind.