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VisionSpring

Affordable Reading Glasses for the Poor

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Affordable reading glasses improve the health and productivity of low-income consumers in rural India.

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The Challenge
  • Over 400 million people across the developing world suffer from presbyopia - the natural deterioration of up-close vision that comes with middle-age -  but have no access to affordable vision services. 
  • Poor eyesight in many cases means the difference between earning a livelihood and not. Clear vision is critical for continued worker productivity, especially for the artisans, tailors, mechanics, and many others across rural communities doing detailed-oriented work.
The Innovation
  • VisionSpring trains Vision Entrepreneurs to operate a microfranchise, traveling from village to village and conducting vision camps, checking eyesight and selling glasses. One pair, with a case and cleaning cloth, costs from $2.50 to $4.
  • VisionSpring uses a partnership model to scale its model, leveraging established networks of local organizations to reach populations the traditional market has neglected and empower our host communities with self-sustaining vision programs.
The Impact
  • VisionSpring's Vision Entrepreneurs have sold more than 360,000 eyeglasses, across four continents and eleven countries, since 2001. Studies indicate that each pair of eyeglasses sold enables an average $106 in increased earnings for the customer. Thus, VisionSpring has generated roughly $38 million in economic growth for those who need it most.
  • VisionSpring has trained more than 5,200 Vision Entrepreneurs to sell VisionSpring eyeglasses, providing these women and men with sustainable, dignified livelihoods that uplift their communities.