But here’s the thing: as much as we appreciate your thoughtfulness, we no longer take used eyeglasses. In fact, we stopped collecting eyeglasses back in 2003.

Here’s why…

Everyone’s eyesight is different. For a pair of eyeglasses to be useful, they need to be screened and fitted for someone through a professional eye exam. To make use of an existing pair, we’d need to find someone with that exact prescription.

It can be a difficult and time-consuming process to match a person’s prescription to a used pair of eyeglasses. In fact, a 2012 study¹ found that matching people with used glasses can cost up to twice as much as supplying them with new ones. And even then,it’s not always an exact match. That’s why we provide people with a new pair of eyeglasses, tailored exactly to their needs.

However, people continue mailing used eyeglasses to us, showing up with boxes full of them, or leaving a bag of them on our doorstep. Unfortunately, we can’t put them to use. But don’t worry! There are other ways you can make a difference and help those who need a brand-new pair of eyeglasses.

How you can help

A simple eye exam and a pair of prescription eyeglasses can transform a person’s life. It can help someone get back to work, keep a child in school and restore independence to a senior citizen.

In partnership with local hospitals and governments, we establish vision centres and eye units in communities in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. These facilities are community hubs where people can go for an eye exam and be fitted for a pair of custom eyeglasses.

Most of the eyeglasses we provide to patients are funded by the generosity of donors like you.  As little as $20 dollars can provide a pair of life-changing eyeglasses. Please consider making a small donation to help bring someone’s future into focus with a new pair of eyeglasses. Thank you for your support!

1. https://journals.lww.com/optvissci/Fulltext/2012/03000/Real_Cost_of_Recycled_Spectacles.9.aspx ↩︎

The post Why we don’t take used eyeglasses anymore appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

Dr. Boateng Wiafe, our technical advisor and author of The healthy eyes activity book: A health teaching book for primary schools, says there are five things everyone should do to take care of their eye health.

1. Book that annual eye exam – In Canada, some provinces offer free eye exams to children and seniors as part of provincial health care. Just like regular visits to the dentist, annual eye exams should be part of your family’s self-care routine.

2. Know the signs – Identifying a vision problem early is a critical first step. If you or a family member squints, tilts their head, closes or covers one eye, has difficulty concentrating or needs to sit close to the TV, these are all signs that a vision problem could be at play.

3. Limit screen time – A 2021 study found that extended screen time is associated with a 30 per cent higher risk of myopia (nearsightedness) and therefore needing prescription eyeglasses. When combined with excessive computer use, the risk more than doubles, reaching approximately 80 per cent.

What’s a person to do? Remember the 20-20-20 rule – every 20 minutes, look at an object approximately 20 feet (six metres) away, for 20 seconds. Pro tip: it works for both kids and adults!

4. Get outside – Getting outside to walk, play or move is a great way to take a break from screens – not to mention get some fresh air and vitamin D. According to the Canadian Association of Optometrists, increased time outdoors protects people from the onset of myopia, or nearsightedness.

5. Protect your eyes – Besides making you très cool, the right pair of sunglasses protects eyes from ultraviolet rays from the sun. Also remember to stay safe and avoid eye injuries by using protective eye gear when you’re doing household chores and ensuring your kids have the right eye protection for sports.

Visit our child eye health page for a free eye health tip sheet and activity sheet for kids.

In focus: global eye care

In many parts of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, lack of access to proper eye care isolates children from their peers and often prevents them from attending school.

For adults, vision loss and lack of adequate eye health care can impact a person’s ability to work, care for their family and build social connections.

Through our community eye health programs, we are giving children, women and men access to prescription glasses, treatment and surgery, with the help of our partner hospitals and through the generosity of our donors.

Whether you live here in Canada or in one of our countries of work across Africa and South Asia, we believe everyone should have access to affordable, high quality eye health care.

Learn more about what you can do to help make eye health services accessible for all.

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The post Top 5 things you can do for your family’s eye health appeared first on Operation Eyesight.