Description of Innovation

VisionSpring works to create access to affordable eyeglasses, as a powerful tool for social and economic development. 2.7 billion people lack the eyeglasses they need—90% of whom are in low and middle-income countries. For many, uncorrected blurry vision results in the loss of employment and educational opportunities and poses a barrier to participation in civic society and family life.

VisionSpring uses innovative distribution and demand generation strategies to sell radically affordable, durable, attractive eyeglasses to individuals living on less than $4 per day. Through our Institutional Partnerships, VisionSpring sells bulk quantities of eyeglasses, coupled with training and marketing support, to our network of over 500 partners serving low-income customers. Through our Vision Access Programs, VisionSpring conducts community-based vision screenings and advances our impact along three themes: See to Earn, See to Learn, and See to be Safe. To support our work, VisionSpring has more than 300 staff members across Bangladesh, Ghana, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Vietnam, and Zambia, as well as an office in New York City.

Since our founding, we have reached over seven million people with the corrective eyeglasses they need to sustain productivity and livelihoods, learn more in school, stay safe on the roads, and enjoy a higher quality of life. As a result of VisionSpring’s work, a cumulative $1.5 billion in increased income-earning potential has been created at the household level.

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