The Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) serves as a special public school in the continuum of statewide placements for students who have a visual impairment. It is also a statewide resource to parents of these children and professionals who serve them. Students, ages 6 through 21, who are blind, deafblind, or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, are eligible for consideration for services at TSBVI.
 

The Lions Eye Health Program (LEHP, pronounced "leap") is a community-based education program that allows Lions clubs, other community organizations, and individuals to promote healthy vision and raise awareness of the causes of preventable vision loss. The mission of LEHP is to empower communities to save sight through the early detection and timely treatment of glaucoma and diabetic eye disease, encourage those at risk to undergo a dilated eye exam, and educate those with low vision and their caregivers about the condition.

LEHP is the main SightFirst-funded initiative for industrialized nations. LEHP has been active in the United States, Japan, the British Isles and Ireland, Canada, Australia, and Turkey. Everyone interested in eye health can now participate in LEHP and help to increase eye health awareness.
 

Campaign SightFirst II is a coordinated, global fund-raising effort involving all 1.35 million Lions in more than 45,000 clubs to raise US $150 million for the SightFirst program. It is conducted by Lions Clubs International Foundation, the grant-making arm of the International Association of Lions Clubs.
 
In a comprehensive, worldwide feasibility study in 2004 an overwhelming number of Lions said that they wanted SightFirst to continue and would participate in a fund raising effort to make that a reality. Eighty-four percent of Lions questioned responded positively to the proposed campaign. 

CSFII was endorsed by the Board of Directors in July 2004 and was launched
at the 2005 International Convention in Hong Kong. The campaign will be conducted on a three-year timetable with intensive fund raising at the local level scheduled for 2006-2008.
 
Because SightFirst is an extraordinary initiative of all Lions and because other important Lions programs must continue, CSFII seeks funds over and above the existing support for LCIF and local Lions projects.
 

Texas Lions Camp is a residential camping facility for children with physical disabilities, type 1 diabetes and cancer.  Children with special needs from all over the State of Texas are invited to attend one of 9 weeks, which we hope will become one of their life-long childhood memories. The goal of the Texas Lions Camp is to provide an atmosphere wherein campers will learn the "Can Do" philosophy and be allowed to achieve maximum personal growth and self-esteem.
 
The Camp is located on over 500 acres in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, and is designed to introduce the "Can Do" philosophy to children dealing with special medical conditions. The primary purpose of the Camp is to provide, without charge, a camp for physically disabled, hearing/vision impaired, and diabetic children from the State of Texas, regardless of race, religion, or national origin.
 

The Texas Lions Eyeglass Recycling Center (TLERC) supplies used eyeglasses to 60+ church sponsored mission groups, physicians and other organizations every year. The Center also supplies eyeglasses for permanent distribution centers in the Republic of Ghana, Nigeria and Brazil.
 
The TLERC organizes optical training teams composed of Lions, doctors and opticians to work with Lions of multiple districts in developing countries. The Center offers the following training programs:

 How to create and operate an optical clinic with used eyeglasses
 How to create and operate a new and used eyeglass distribution
       center
 How to create and operate a finishing lab
 Photo-screening
 Low vision screening
 
To date, Lions in the US, Guyana, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras have received this training.
 
Currently, the center is working with Chevron to set up a permanent Lions eyeglass distribution facility in The Republic of Congo. In addition, the Center also procures new and used optical and surgical equipment for use by a variety of different mission groups.