VisionSpring

It’s a privilege to have received the Mahatma Award for the second consecutive year for our work with low-income adults and children across India! Last week, we received the Mahatma Award for Philanthropy, building on the award for Social Good and Impact that we received last year. The Mahatma Award is inspired by the values and spirit of India’s Father of the Nation, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, fondly called Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi’s value of helping others reflects in our mission to transform lives by providing vision screenings and eyeglasses to those who lack access and awareness. To make the moment even more special, the recognition was conferred to us by Dr. Kiran Bedi, the first woman IPS Officer and former Lt. Governor of Puducherry, India. This year’s ceremony also honoured prominent individuals including: - Ms. Sudha Murty, Founder-Chairperson of Infosys Foundation and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) - Dr. sonal Mansingh, renowned Indian Classical Dancer - Mr. Achyuta Samanta, Educationist, Humanitarian, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) - Ms. Anu Aga, Former Chairperson and Non-Executive Director, Thermax Limited - Mr. Jatin Das, Painter, Poet, Sculptor, Muralist, and Founder Chairperson of the J D Centre of Art - Mr. Sanjeev Chopra, Retd. IAS Officer and Founder of Valley of Words - Ms. Kiran Nadar, Chairperson of the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, and Trustee, Shiv Nadar Foundation. Thank you to the Mahatma Foundation, the Aditya Birla Group, and Mr. Amit Sachdeva (the CSR Man of India) for their confidence in us, and to all our partners, teams, and supporters who help make our mission possible. Here’s to continuing our journey towards a Clear Vision India! #ClearVisionIndia #India #Gandhi #SocialImpact

To our team members, customers, and partners celebrating Yom Kippur, VisionSpring wishes you a meaningful holiday and a healthy year. Shanah Tova! #YomKippur #ShanahTova

Happy World Sight Day! In the 6 week run up to today, we’ve been busy screening the vision of a quarter million workers and students! Among them were 500 ambassadors, staff of UN agencies and the secretariat, country mission representatives, and guests. As part of the UN Friends of Vision, along with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, we hosted vision screening advocacy events at UNICEF's office and in the United Nations. There, we dispensed 234 reading glasses, with many people receiving their first-ever pair. Even in these hallowed halls where people are working on global social, economic, and security issues, we were able to serve people just like those we reach in low-income and rural communities. We encountered people who were getting their first sight checks; had delayed seeking care they know they needed; or were using outdated eyeglasses that were significantly underpowered for their current needs. It’s the third time since 2019 that we’ve celebrated World Sight Day in this way — raising awareness within the UN system about the connection between improving access to eye care and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. After years of campaigning and advocacy alongside our allies, we are seeing actionable change. In 2021, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution calling for universal access to eye health by 2030, and the World Health Assembly approved the first-ever global targets for vision. Just this year, the World Health Organization launched SPECS 2030 to close the clear vision gap for 1 billion people needing eyeglasses. Looking forward, in 2026 the IAPB and the UN Friends of Vision will host the first-ever Global Summit for Eye Health — helping move these goals forward “from paper to people.” Thank you to the UN and to UNICEF for hosting us! We extend our special thanks for attending and championing clear vision to: — Dr. Walton A. Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the United Nations, — Courtenay Rattray, Chef de Cabinet for the UN Secretary-General, — Chris Lu, Permanent Representative of the USA to the United Nations, — Fergal Mythen, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations, and — Andrés Franco, Director, Office of the Secretary of the Executive Board at UNICEF #WordSightDay #LoveYourEyes #SocialEntrepreneurship

Happy 62nd Independence Day to all team members, partners, and customers in Uganda! #Uganda #IndependenceDay

Empowering Vision, Enhancing Futures! The Centre For Innovation and Social Enterprise, Kirori Mal College, under the mentorship of Prof Roopinder Oberoi, took a significant step toward brighter futures by organizing a Free Eye Check-up Camp in collaboration with VisionSpring. More than 100 students benefitted from comprehensive eye screenings. Many students discovered that their eyesight was weaker than they realized and were given free spectacles provided their family income was less than 5 lakh. This initiative marks a transformative collaboration with VisionSpring with a special thanks to Anshu Taneja , Country Director of VisionSpring Foundation, for driving this impactful cause forward. Through the signing of an MoU, we’re committed to continuing this partnership, expanding our reach, and creating more such opportunities for the community. At CISE, we believe in the power of innovation and collaboration to address real-world challenges—and today's event was a perfect example of how we’re making a difference. #CISE #SocialImpact #VisionForAll #InnovationInHealthcare #VisionSpring #EmpoweringCommunities #FreeEyeCheckup #SpectaclesForStudents #PartnershipsForChange

UN General Assembly week is always an exciting, fast-paced, and enriching experience for us! This year, we successfully hosted three events: 1️⃣ We partnered with Panorama Global for a 'Discussion on Windfall Gifts' alongside key stakeholders in the social enterprise world, focusing on the power of collaboration. 2️⃣ Co-hosted a memorable reception with Warby Parker at their Rockefeller store. Our friends and allies came together to celebrate VisionSpring's work and efforts to provide clear vision to everyone. 3️⃣ VisionSpring, Warby Parker, Johnson & Johnson and the Livelihood Impact Fund joined forces for a Vision Equity Roundtable. The conversation among philanthropic leaders centered on the new and emerging research evidencing eyeglasses as a scalable, cost-effective tool for social and economic development We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us and made UN General Assembly week special.    #SocialEntrepreneurship #UNGA #UNGeneralAssembly #NYC

VisionSpring wishes a happy Rosh Hashanah to all our celebrating team members, customers, and partners. Shana Tovah! #RoshHashanah #ShanaTovah #Celebrate

Every year, more and more schoolchildren are diagnosed with Myopia. There are many ways we can address this visual impairment and parents can take a proactive role to prevent it from developing early on. Here are a few: 1️⃣ Limit screen time. Focusing on an electronic screen - often held in close proximity to the face - is a huge factor in the development of myopia. 2️⃣ Encourage your kids to spend more time outdoors. That's right, playing outdoors can hold off early onset myopia. The more kids are exposed to natural light and the more they adjust their vision to different distances, the healthier their eyes. 3️⃣ Get their eyes checked by a professional. With myopia on the rise amongst children, we should all be checking our kids' eyes regularly - at least once a year. Our See to Learn program ticks this box by visiting kids at their schools on a regular basis. 4️⃣ Ensure they wear eyeglasses if needed! If your kids already wear eyeglasses, make sure they wear them consistently. Without them, they'll be straining their eyes, potentially worsening their impairment. And remember, clear vision can help your child achieve their fullest potential at school. Make sure you're playing a role in their eye health! #Kids #Eye #Health #WorldSightDay

Happy 64th Independence Day to all customers, team members, and partners in Nigeria! #Nigeria #NigerianIndependenceDay

One of our core organizational values is to, "Constantly Adapt and Relentlessly Improve." Over the years, our 3 key programs — See to Earn, See to Learn, and See to be Safe — have all evolved to incorporate what we learn. Our 5 Keys to Success for our See to Earn program are: 1️⃣ Bring screenings to where the workers are By bringing vision screenings to workers, we can serve more people efficiently and save their time as well as the cost of traveling to seek care. 2️⃣ Provide an immediate solution Our proprietary Pop-ins™ eyeglasses allow us to provide workers with the prescription glasses they need right on-the-spot. We can screen their vision, and simply snap the correct prescription lenses into the frames they pick out. 3️⃣ Provide the dignity of choice Workers choose from a variety of colours and styles. Everyone feels more confident wearing glasses we've personally picked out, allowing us to express our individuality and feel more comfortable. 4️⃣ Link workers to higher-level care We often identify workers with issues that eyeglasses won't solve, such as cataracts or glaucoma, and refer them to local facilities that offer the treatment they need. Together, we collaborate with mission-aligned providers to ensure a continuum of care. 5️⃣ Ask workers to invest in their eyeglasses Data shows that people are willing to contribute 1-2 day’s wages to the cost of their eyeglasses. Having people invest in their own spectacles increases their agency and wearing habits. When workers have access to the eye care they need, they're able to maintain their productivity, extend their working years, and continue to care for their families. As World Sight Day approaches, let this be a reminder to #LoveYourEyes at Work. #WorldSightDay #Workers #SocialEntrepreneurship