Impact of Eyeglasses
33%
Increase in median
monthly income1
22%
Boost in productivity2
44%
Reduction in students’
probability of failing3
60%
Road accidents can be
attributed to poor vision4
Rigorous studies are generating insights into how eyeglasses
can contribute to social and economic development.
Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs)
PROSPER II
16x Return on Investment in Manufacturing
PROductivity Study of Presbyopia Elimination in garment WOrkers (PROSPER II) demonstrates the impact of glasses in manufacturing ready-made garments. Providing sewing machine operators with near vision correction boosted productivity by 6% in Indian factories. This efficiency gain represents a strong return on investment: for every $1 spent on the intervention, factories realized gains equivalent to $3.37 in the first 12 weeks.
PROSPER
22% Gain in Productivity for Agricultural Workers
Effect of providing near glasses on productivity among rural Indian tea workers with presbyopia (PROSPER) quantifies the effect of reading glasses on worker productivity in the agricultural sector in India. Providing tea garden workers with reading glasses increased productivity by 22% - the largest productivity gain ever recorded in a health trial.
THRIVE
33% Increase in Income Across Rural Livelihoods
The effect on income of providing near vision correction to workers in Bangladesh (THRIVE) is the first RCT to quantify the impact of eyeglasses on income. In rural Bangladesh, reading glasses dispensed by community health workers increased median monthly incomes by 33.4% across a range of occupations, demonstrating that task-sharing with non-medical personnel improves livelihoods and expands access.
Upcoming Research and Studies
DRIVES
Measures the impact of
glasses on safe driving..
THRIFT
Assesses the impact of
reading glasses on the use of
mobile banking.
Vision and Learning
Longitudinal Study of Children's Vision
and Learning Outcomes.
Other Studies and Research
Impact of Eyeglasses on Self-Rated Driving Safety of Commercial Truckers in India
Ophthalmic Epidemiology A before and after assessment study. Screened nearly 10,000 commercial drivers across eight Indian states to assess vision impairment and driving difficulties. 17.7% of drivers had blurry distance vision, and after receiving glasses, over half reported major improvements in critical driving tasks like judging distance and night driving, demonstrating that vision correction is an urgent road safety intervention. (2025 Jun.)
Seeing Beyond the First Pair: Consumer Behaviour and Eyeglass Replacement in India
Cross-sectional study tracking reading glasses usage and replacement behavior over six years in India. 93% of customers were found to still be wearing glasses 5-6 years later, with 61% purchasing replacement pairs, underscoring that introducing eyeglasses to first-time wearers is a lifelong intervention. (2025 Nov.)
EVALUATING PHARMACY EFFECTIVENESS in Increasing Eyeglasses Coverage among Garment Workers in Bangladesh
Evaluation of program linking pharmacy retail points with workplace vision programs, supported by marketing campaigns. Pharmacies with marketing support saw 31% repeat purchases and significantly higher sales compared to pharmacies without workplace program linkage, proving that strategic retail partnerships create sustained access to affordable vision care. (2025 Nov.)
Delivering Refractive Care to Populations With Near and Distance Vision Impairment
Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology: Article documenting VisionSpring's evidence-based service delivery models for working age adults with vision correction. Details reach and effectiveness of workplace and community health worker programs, with lessons for scaling in low-resource settings. (2022 Feb.)
A Powerful Tool for Social and Economic Development: Accelerating the Uptake of Eyeglasses for Working-Age Adults
South-East Asia Eye Health Chapter assessing two of VisionSpring's innovative delivery models for working-age adults in Bangladesh, India and Vietnam — the Reading Glasses for Improved Livelihoods and Clear Vision Workplace programs. Details lessons learned from reaching millions with affordable glasses through community health workers and workplace sight tests. (2021 Aug.)
Join us in advancing the evidence to strengthen vision care programs.