In a world that continues to become more complex and where simple solutions to humanity’s greatest problems are rarely possible, there are still moments of pure genius in finding low tech answers to man’s most difficult challenges.
In this case, it involves the most basic of a human being’s needs – the ability to see.
Currently, an astonishing 2.5 billion people on the planet are not able to read a simple eye chart, let alone read a book, seek educational opportunities, or even enjoy an evening’s sunset without corrective eyeglasses. But very few of those individuals, who are living amidst extreme poverty in the world’s most remote locations, have access to the resources that could provide literally clear vision.
That challenge has not stopped the Mid-Shore’s Kevin White from attacking this problem head on. A retired marine officer, Maj. White, has invented an extraordinarily simple method for sight diagnostics and the distribution of what might be eventually millions of affordable eyeglasses in places like in Mozambique and Ghana in Africa, and later, Afghanistan, South America, China and India.
In 2014, Kevin created “USee,” an affordable, transportable, easy-to-use vision correction kit designed to bring eyesight at remarkably affordable cost of $4.50 per pair of eyeglasses.
The kit includes a pair of 3D printed glasses with slide controlled vision lenses that allow the volunteer to find the best vision correction for each individual; a variety of different snap-in lenses that meet the vision needs of an individual and 250 pairs of different colored glasses for them to choose from.
These volunteers, many of whom are already working in these isolated communities on different humanitarian projects, bring these kits with them and have the capable of outfitting an entire village with corrective lens in the span or a day or two.
The Spy talked to White about the founding of Global Vision 2020, and how this simple program has all the potential to solving one of the our most challenging problem with a simple tool and a great vision.
This video is approximately seven minutes in length. For more information about Global Vision 2020 please go here
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