Vision Excellence Awards: Sandra Block

I am honored to nominate Dr. Sandra S. Block, OD, Med, MPH, FAAO, FCOVD, FNAP for the VISION Excellence Award for the breadth of her work over the past 30 years. Dr. Block received her degree from Illinois College of Optometry (1981), and then completed a Pediatric Residency. In 1988, she completed her M.Ed. and 2015 her MPH. She has been a consultant to Special Olympics since 1995 and was instrumental in developing the vision program protocols used globally.

Dr. Block was a professor at ICO until her retirement from full time teaching on July 14, 2020. She has been the Medical Director for the Illinois Eye Institute at the Princeton Elementary School –a school-based vision clinic serving Chicago Public Schools since 2011.

Dr. Block has authored numerous articles and conducted presentations nationally and internationally. She was one of the authors of the first vision report from the National Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine. She is member of the American Academy of Optometry and American Optometric Association and sits on the Board of Prevent Blindness (where she was chair of the Community Programs Committee). She is a fellow and Diplomate in the American Academy of Optometry, as well as, a Fellow in College of Optometrists in Visual Development, Co-chair of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health, Chair of the World Council of Optometry and is past Chair for the National Academy of Practice in Optometry. With the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, Dr. Block has served on both the Human Resource Eyecare Workgroup and the School Eye Health Workgroup.