Lackawanna Blind Association

Aug - Thu - 2017
August 17, 2017

Lackawanna Blind Association  

Ergonomic and Antiglare Project
http://www.lackawannablind.org/

The mission of the Lackawanna Blind Association is to support and promote the interests of the blind and visually impaired, and the prevention of avoidable blindness.

 

Healthy Workplace Grant Overview:

The Lackawanna Blind Association used its healthy workplace grant to purchase ergonomic chairs and antiglare computer screens for its employees. Research was done to find high quality antiglare screens, and the team went shopping for its new chairs together.
 
Jeanne Boland, who worked as administrative support and as a caseworker-aide with the Association, was happy to see the organization embrace its own mission in the office. 
 
"Looking too much into a computer screen can cause similar changes to the eye as dry eye can cause, it affects your eye health," Jeanne explained. "We wanted to reduce the effects of that on our vision to practice what we preach."  
 
Recognizing the importance of eye health and the significant detriments from looking at screens for too long, like headaches and eye strain, is important for any office, Jeanne added. 
"It's not just an annoyance, and it's not just temporary discomfort. It does serious harm to your eyes. I became very conscience of it, and I took steps to reduce the impact."
 

Why We Support This Work:

We support this project as it takes inspiration from the Lackawanna Blind Association's mission to promote eye health. It also encourages employees to continue practicing healthy eye habits at home on their own devices. 

How You Can Make It Happen*:

  • See if antiglare computer screens and monitors are feasible for your office. Slip-on covers and attachable antiglare screens are an option for established setups and can be as cheap as $10 per screen.
  • Learn what to look for in an ergonomic chair through this guide.
  • Encourage employees to observe the 20 / 20 / 20 rule. Every 20 minutes, take a break and look 20 feet ahead for 20 seconds to rest one's eyes from the screen. It helps reduce the impact of eye strain.
*Special thanks to the University of Scranton Center for Health Education & Wellness for their contributions.