Words by Smiley Team
Online retailer Warby Parker is alleviating the problem of impaired vision by distributing over eight million pairs of glasses through its Buy a Pair, Give a Pair programme.
For every pair of glasses or sunglasses sold, another is donated to someone in need.
The company was founded by students, who felt that the cost of glasses was far too expensive. They discovered that the eyewear industry is dominated by a single company that has been able to keep prices "artificially high", whilst gaining profits from customers who don’t have any other options. So they created an alternative.
Whilst the coronavirus pandemic has forced them to temporarily suspend some operations – they’re still continuing to support the distribution of glasses where possible, without compromising the health of their partners and community.
(Read more about the mission to stop avoidable blindness)
In fact, from April 2020, when a Warby Parker pair of glasses has been purchased, personal protective equipment and preventative health supplies has been distributed to healthcare workers and communities in need.
In total, 2.5 billion people globally need glasses, but don’t have access to them. Of these, 624 million cannot effectively learn or work, due to the severity of their visual impairment.
From Mexico to Zimbabwe, Bangladesh to Sri Lanka, the company's impact has reached more than 50 countries.
(Read more about how Amazon is helping to keep kids safe)
Warby Parker's primary partner has been VisionSpring, who have supported their social entrepreneurship model internationally, which makes it possible for low-income men and women to acquire and sell much more affordable eyeglasses, earn a living, and care for their families.
This model makes eyecare considerably more accessible in communities with few or no other options, and 50% of VisionSpring’s customers have received glasses for the first time.
Additionally, in 2015, Warby Parker created the Pupils Project, offering free vision screenings, eye exams, and glasses to schoolchildren.
It aims to eliminate barriers to access by providing free prescription glasses and meeting children in their classrooms, where eyesight issues first appear.
You can find out more about Warby Parker and its initiative to give back on its website.
