In conjunction with World Sight Day, OneSight and Deloitte are announcing the results of a recent study which determined 1.1 billion people need glasses but lack access. OneSight collaborated with Deloitte to determine how accessible vision care and quality eyewear are around the world. The Global Need and Access to Glasses Study found:

  • For the 2.5 billion people in the world that need glasses, 1.1 billion people lack access to glasses. That means 1 in 7 people around the world can’t see clearly because they do not have access to a simple pair of glasses.
  • The crisis is most acute in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, where up to 44% of the population in certain countries, needs glasses but lacks the access to get them.
  • There are 239 million children globally who need glasses, but lack access.
    • In the U.S., 1 in 4 students have an undiagnosed vision problem.

Clear vision can fundamentally change someone’s world and unlock their potential. On World Sight Day (October 8, 2015), OneSight is asking people to help give a voice to the 1.1 billion people who need glasses, but lack access by:

  • Sharing a photo of yourself using your hands as glasses (i.e. hand glasses) with the hashtag #HelpTheWorldSee on your social media channels.
  • Donating $1 to help 1 billion people get access to glasses at www.onesight.org/worldsightday.
  • Watching and sharing a video about how access to glasses can impact the world at www.onesight.org/worldsightday.