Pupils at Brackenfield School visited their local opticians to explore the importance of science and how it helps improve everyday life for people living with sight and hearing disabilities.
The team at Specsavers Harrogate opened their doors to two groups of Year 3 children, who took their school project out into the community to understand the science that takes place at Beulah Street daily.
Starting with the optometrists, the children were given vision simulation glasses, designed to mimic the effects of various visual impairments. This allowed them to understand how everyday tasks can become challenging when your vision is altered, and even the teachers were surprised at how disorienting the simplest of tasks can become.
From there, the children were invited to understand how their eyes work in detail, and one pupil volunteered to take part in an optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan – an advanced, 3D eye scanner which helps to detect certain eye conditions earlier than traditional methods.
With the results generated immediately, the group gathered in the test room, where the team explained the anatomy and inner workings of the eye, describing how each layer of the retina works to help us see the world around us.
To end the session, the groups were led into the audiology department, where the audiology director, Tom Lowrie, taught them how their hearing worked, and using a model ear and real-life hearing test equipment, the children learnt how hearing loss is diagnosed and treated at Specsavers.
Mrs Clark, Class Teacher at Brackenfield School, says: ‘We’re thankful to the team at Specsavers Harrogate for hosting our students, and for creating a well thought out and informative session. It helped the children to understand the STEM theme of 'Adapt and Change' in an immersive, hands-on environment. This supported the children's knowledge and understanding of how STEM changes and adapts the lives of people with disabilities, such as those with hearing and sight impairments.
‘It was wonderful to see the children engaging and having fun and learning more about how science helps people in their daily lives. As we know, early experiences of compassion and empathy are important in every child’s life, which is why the session was important; it not only informed the children on how science can change lives, but also broke down the stigma surrounding disabilities.’
Caroline Sullivan, store director at Specsavers Harrogate, says: ‘On behalf of the team, we wanted to thank the children at Brackenfield’s for their full engagement during the session. We hope that we were able to expand their understanding of our roles and the important part science plays when assisting people with sight and hearing disabilities.
‘The earlier children learn about the importance of ear and eye health—and how science is helping change people’s lives—the more understanding and supportive our communities become. We’d love to welcome them back and invite surrounding schools to understand just how important our roles are in the local community and provide them with a sneak peek into the lives of optometrists and audiologists.’
Specsavers recommends that school-aged children get tested annually, as kids spend five days a week in classes where many lessons are taught visually.