In California and across the world, too many children go to school and adults go to work without the proper glasses to help them succeed. Now, nonprofit organizations are stepping in to help.
The World Health Organization has predicted that by 2050, more than 2 billion people across the globe will live with vision impairment. That impairment could be prevented, or is yet to be addressed, for at least 1 billion of them.
Blair Wong, board president of GoodVision USA and International, a nonprofit providing eye care and free glasses in 11 countries, explained that vision care is an economic multiplier because every $1 invested yields $28 in economic benefits.
“By giving people a chance with vision, they get better jobs and have greater impact economically on their own family structure, as well as contributing to their communities,” Wong outlined.
GoodVision trains people in local communities to manufacture simple glasses and they travel to remote communities to provide basic optical care. Experts said 90% of vision loss is in poor and middle-income countries and children with vision loss are 2 to 5 times less likely to receive formal education.
Additional data show as of 2020, about 160 million people worldwide were already blind, or had moderate to severe vision impairment, because they lack proper optical care.
In the Golden State, children enrolled in Medi-Cal get free glasses and optical care. The state has teamed up with nonprofits like “Vision to Learn” to offer eye exams in public schools, something Wong stressed is key to children’s futures in school and beyond.
“It just seems so unnecessary in the world to have major populations not have access to a prescription and a simple pair of glasses that would help them to be more productive,” Wong argued.
Vision to Learn got its start in California. Last year, it helped more than 100,000 students in 14 counties, providing 30,000 eye exams and 25,000 pairs of glasses.
GoodVision USA contributes to our fund for reporting on health issues.
