UAB Eye Care providing free exams and glasses for some previous inmates

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - UAB Eye Care is providing free eye care and glasses to men ages 50 and older who are preparing to reenter society.

These services are provided in partnership with Alabama Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. They provide essential resources to men 50 years old and older who are incarcerated for offenses without injury.

The partnership began in 2021, when UAB’s Community Eye Care started providing service to all Appleseed clients.

Janene Sims, O.D., Ph.D., Director of CEC, says that eye care is a vital part of health care. Eye exams provide early detection for many health conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer.

Sims said, “We are excited to be able to partner with Appleseed to help provide eye care to their clients.”

Joe Bennett is one of Appleseed’s clients who received eye care from UAB. Bennett was released from prison in 2021, and he says he is appreciative of the eye care he received from UAB.

“This was the most thorough eye examination I have ever received in my life,” Bennett said.

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