The Problem

At least 100 million young people worldwide have poor vision

Key Facts

100 million young people suffer from myopia
60% of these do not have the glasses they need
There is a lack of optometrists to fit glasses
Glasses can help with school and life opportunities

Scale

Based on the limited data that is available, the CVDW estimates that there are over 100 million young people (age 12-18) in the developing world who suffer from myopia, or nearsightedness. Of these, we believe that roughly 60 million (or 60%) lack access to the accurate vision correction that they need.

Causes

The reasons why young people do not have access to the eyeglasses that they need to correct their vision are complex. We believe that there are five underlying reasons for this – awareness, access, affordability, attractiveness, and accuracy.

Awareness - Many living in poor villages are unaware either that they suffer from poor vision, or that poor vision can be corrected
Access - Eyeglasses are primarily available in urban optical shops; they are only rarely available in rural areas
Affordability - The total cost of obtaining corrective eyeglasses is too high – including time lost to work in travelling to multiple screening and fitting appointments
Attractiveness - Aesthetics are very important, particularly among adolescents, and eyeglasses can be a point of difference that leads to a social stigma. Cultural attitudes toward glasses, a belief that eyeglasses can be harmful, and comfort are other important factors
Accuracy - A significant proportion of people wearing eyeglasses in developing countries have inadequate correction that leaves them with poor visual acuity. This may be due either to poor testing by a poorly trained or untrained optician, or a complete lack of professional testing

Impact

The impact of poor vision on the educational, quality of life and economic potential of young people is substantial, but has not been well investigated. A recent working paper from the University of Minnesota based on schoolchildren in rural China estimates that wearing eyeglasses for a year increased average test scores by an amount equivalent to 0.33-0.5 extra years of schooling. This implies that poor vision presents a major problem to learning for these children.

Studies of the economic impact of vision correction have been completed for adults, and show that it is substantial. A study by AMD Alliance International reported a total global cost of blindness and poor vision of nearly $3trn in 2010 (including all indirect costs), while a study by VisionSpring and the William Davidson Institute in India estimates that providing reading glasses can improve worker productivity by 35%, and deliver $381 in increased earnings over two years.

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Our solution

Child ViSion™ tackles poor vision by providing self-adjustable glasses through school-based distribution programmes in the developing world

New self-adjustable glasses

Designed specifically to help 12-18 year olds

Novel distribution programmes

Partnering with schools and education programmes in the developing world

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Our solution

Click to rotate in 3D

Key Facts

Designed specifically for teenagers aged 12-18
Correcting for myopia between 0 and -5D
To be available in a variety of colours

New self-adjustable glasses

Child ViSion™ has developed self-adjustable glasses which the wearer is able to adjust until they can see clearly. These glasses are based on a fluid-filled lens technology that is similar to that used in the Adspecs, the original self-adjustable, fluid-filled glasses developed by Professor Joshua Silver.

While the Adspecs were designed for use by adults, the Child ViSion™ glasses have been developed specifically for use by young people aged from 12-18. These glasses are small, light and attractive, and have been designed to withstand hard use in challenging environments. They have also been designed to enable mass-manufacturing to keep the cost of production as low as possible.

Perhaps the most important question is: do they work? Several recently published studies (which can be read here and here) have demonstrated that the process of self-refraction with the Adspecs can produce very good visual outcomes in teenagers when compared to the best possible techniques in developed countries.

We will be undertaking clinical trials of the Child ViSion™ glasses in mid-2013 in order to demonstrate their efficacy. After that, the next step will be pilot deployments in schools in developing world countries in order to test distribution models, followed by wider deployment of the glasses through partner organisations and government education systems.

How do you use self-adjustable glasses?

Self-adjustable glasses are designed for use in parts of the world where there are too few optometrists to screen patients and to prescribe custom glasses for refractive error. Self-adjustable glasses allow the wearer to adjust the lenses until he or she can see clearly. They are simple to adjust and can be dispensed by almost anyone with basic training.

Step 1: Check for poor vision

Perform a basic screening test for poor distance vision using the 'tumbling-E' illiterate vision chart.

Step 2: Adjust lenses

Turn the dials slowly on the side-arms until each eye can see clearly.

Step 3: Seal lenses

Press the buttons on the frame to seal the lenses in place, detach the adjuster tubes and prevent further adjustment.

Step 4: Remove adjusters

Unclip the adjusters from the side-arms and dispose of them safely. The glasses are now set and sealed and function like normal spectacles.

Step 5: Wear

Your Child ViSion™ Adjustable Glasses are ready for use.

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Our solution

Novel distribution programmes

Simply making the glasses is not enough; we also have to get them to the young people who need them. As self-refraction does not require highly-trained optometric professionals, Child ViSion™ aims to distribute these glasses through innovative classroom-based programmes, with the adjustment process supervised by teachers.

Following clinical trials of the Child ViSion™ glasses in mid-2013, we will begin pilot distribution programmes together with our partners.

For more details on our proposed solution and updates on our progress see our FAQs and news section.

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About Us

Dow Corning (dowcorning.com) provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services via the company's Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® (xiameter.com) brands. Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United States. Dow Corning's global operations adhere to the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care® initiative, a stringent set of standards designed to advance the safe and secure management of chemical products and processes.

Cv Cvdw Logo

The Centre for Vision in the Developing World (CVDW) is based in Oxford, UK, and was founded to study the clinical and practical issues in providing vision correction in the developing world. It has a particular focus on self-refraction, and was founded by Professor Joshua Silver, inventor of the Adspecs, the world's first universal self-adjustable eyeglasses.

Introduction

Child ViSion™ is a unique initiative of the Centre for Vision in the Developing World and Dow Corning Corporation, aiming to assist young people in the developing world who cannot see clearly due to a lack of access to vision correction. The initiative was launched in March 2011 with Dow Corning committing US$3 million of funding and materials and design expertise to CVDW to enable the development and production of a new and improved pair of self-adjustable glasses designed specifically for young people.

In our first phase, we aim to distribute 50,000 glasses to nearsighted 12-18 year olds through innovative schools-based programmes, followed by a larger scale-up worldwide. Our long-term goal is to ensure that all young people who would benefit from vision correction have access to a pair of glasses, thereby improving their education and quality of life, and giving them the ability to contribute fully to the development of their communities.

For more information on the problem, the new glasses and our plans, please keep exploring our website.

Why the partnership?

When Professor Joshua Silver created the first self-adjustable glasses, Dow Corning's silicone fluids were at the heart of them. By using the optically clear, high refractive index fluid, he was able to create a pair of glasses the lenses of which could be adjusted by the wearer.

So when the Child Self-Refraction Study results confirmed that children aged 12-18 could accurately use self-adjustable glasses, we knew where to look for support for the next stage of our work.

By working with a global leader in silicon-based technology, CVDW has access to some of the best minds and processes available, and we are excited to be working with a company so committed to supporting vision correction in the developing world.

People

Child ViSion™ is managed on a day-to-day basis by CVDW, with Dow Corning providing access to resources and expertise on a regular basis.

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Get Involved

Individuals

You can play your part by visiting our Facebook page or following us on Twitter to keep up to date with our latest news.

Corporate

If you are interested in contributing to Child ViSion as a partner or sponsor, or in donating services in kind, please contact us to discuss what we may be able to offer.

Foundations and Trusts

If you are interested in supporting Child ViSion™ in general, or would like to develop a specific distribution programme, we would be keen to hear from you. Please contact us to discuss how we may be able to work together.

Partners and Distributors

If you are interested in distributing Child ViSion™ glasses or playing a role in getting them to young people who need them, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us to discuss how we might be able to work together.

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Latest News

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Come and see Child ViSion™ at Designs of the Year

March 19, 2013

The Centre for Vision in the Developing World's Child ViSion™ glasses have been nominated for the Design Museum's Designs of the Year Awards, in the 'product' category. Come and see the new glasses in the Design Museum in London from March 20 - July 7.

Child ViSion™ glasses nominated for Designs of the Year

February 8, 2013

The Centre for Vision in the Developing World's Child ViSion™ glasses have been nominated for the Design Museum's Designs of the Year 2013 Awards, in the 'product' category.

Child ViSion™ major milestone

April 30, 2012

Dow Corning and the Centre for Vision in the Developing World achieve major milestone in Child ViSion™ initiative

New prototype of self-adjustable glasses will help bring vision correction to children in the developing world

Oxford, UK - Dow Corning and the Centre for Vision in the Developing World (CVDW) are one step closer to delivering their goal of providing vision correction and thereby improving education and quality of life for children in the developing world. As a result of the Child ViSion™ initiative, CVDW has developed a new prototype of self-adjustable glasses. The design and creation of the Child ViSion™ prototype demonstrates significant progress toward the design, manufacture, and distribution of a child-specific version of self-adjustable glasses.

The Child ViSion™ initiative, the result of a long-standing collaboration between Dow Corning and the CVDW, was formally launched in March 2011 to create an innovative new way to help provide vision correction to children in the developing world.

Recently published academic research demonstrates that most children and teenagers aged 12 to 18 are able to successfully achieve very good vision correction using self-adjustable glasses.

"Using our self-adjustable glasses, we want to help the more than 100 million young people in the developing world who need vision correction to see clearly," said Prof. Josh Silver, founder and director of the CVDW, and inventor of the world's first universal fluid-filled adjustable eyeglasses. "By combining the expertise of the CVDW and Dow Corning, we have been able to create a new design of self-adjustable glasses which are more suited to children aged 12-18."

With the help of local teachers and translators, a team led by the CVDW recently traveled to India to capture valuable insights from nearly 600 school-aged children. The results of the week-long assessment were used to refine the design features of the new prototype to maximize their appeal to this audience.

"The intention in designing the new glasses was to create a product that is simple and intuitive to use, fits teenagers well, and looks good, while at the same time being low cost to manufacture," said Maja Kecman, head of design at CVDW, who was responsible for the development of the new glasses.

The new glasses, filled with a Dow Corning optical silicone fluid, are designed specifically for the needs of myopic (nearsighted) teenagers. With a power range of 0 to -5 diopters, users are able to adjust the lens power by turning a dial on each arm. This adds or removes the fluid until the user can see most clearly. The adjusters are then detached, leaving a conventional-looking pair of glasses.

In addition to improved design, key elements of the Child ViSion™ initiative are to ensure the design can be scaled up to mass-production levels and to establish programmes for distribution and instruction.

"Achieving the prototype is a great step forward but in order to be successful, we have to get them to the young people who need them," said James Stephenson, global healthcare market manager and leader of the Child ViSion™ initiative at Dow Corning. "Our collaboration with the CVDW is about using vision correction to improve the quality of life of young people in the developing world. The CVDW now needs to scale up the glasses to sustainable production levels in order that children can ultimately benefit from this technology."

The next phase of the Child ViSion™ initiative will see clinical trials of the prototype, leading to the production and distribution of the first 50,000 pairs of the new glasses planned to start in 2013. CVDW is in active discussions with several other potential funding and distribution partners. The aim is to distribute glasses through school-based programmes, in which students correct their vision under the supervision of their teacher. Initial deployments of the new glasses are planned for China, India and Indonesia, where the prevalence of refractive error is highest.

To learn more about Child ViSion™, visit www.child-vision.org.

Join the Child ViSion™ discussion on Twitter by following #ChildViSion

Editor's Note
Prof. Silver's original self-adjustable eyeglasses contain special lenses composed of clear membranes that are filled with Dow Corning silicone fluid. By adding or removing fluid via a removable syringe and dial attached to the eyeglasses' frame, wearers can modify the curvature of the lenses and therefore the strength of their eyeglasses. More than 40,000 adults in the developing world have already benefited from this revolutionary technology.

About Dow Corning
Dow Corning (dowcorning.com) provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services via the company's Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® brands. Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United States. Dow Corning's global operations adhere to the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care® initiative, a stringent set of standards designed to advance the safe and secure management of chemical products and processes.

About the Centre for Vision in the Developing World
The Centre for Vision in the Developing World (CVDW), based in Oxford, UK, was founded to study the clinical and practical issues in providing vision correction in the developing world. It has a particular focus on self-refraction and was founded by Prof. Joshua Silver, inventor of the world's first universal fluid-filled adjustable eyeglasses.

Child ViSion™ announcement

March 16, 2011

Oxford, UK - Dow Corning, a global leader in silicon-based technology, and the Centre for Vision in the Developing World (CVDW) are jointly announcing a collaboration to create an innovative new way to help correct the vision of children in the developing world. Dow Corning has committed US$3 million of funding and materials expertise to the CVDW as part of this collaboration to launch an initiative called Child ViSion™.

The Child ViSion™ initiative will design, manufacture and distribute a child-specific version of self-adjustable eyeglasses to children in the developing world. The aim is to increase the effectiveness of classroom-based education by improving children's ability to see the blackboard from which they are being taught.

"There are approximately 100 million children in the developing world with vision problems that need correcting. In the developed world there is one optometrist for roughly every 5,000 people. In the developing world, there is one for every 1 million people," said Prof. Josh Silver, Oxford University physicist, founder and director of the CVDW, and inventor of the world's first universal fluid-filled adjustable eyeglasses. "Through this collaboration with Dow Corning, CVDW can now expand our efforts to effectively put eyeglasses in the hands of the children who need them."

The goal of CVDW, a United Kingdom-based community interest company, is to improve vision for people in the developing world who lack access to adequate vision correction.

"This collaboration between Dow Corning and the Centre for Vision in the Developing World will combine our expertise to help bring improved vision correction to children in desperate need," said Stephanie A. Burns, Chairman and CEO of Dow Corning.

Through Child ViSion™, Dow Corning will work with CVDW to explore how self-adjustable eyeglasses can be designed specifically for the needs of children so that the glasses are able to withstand daily use, are light weight and look more appealing, which will increase the likelihood that they will be worn. Another key element of the initiative will be to ensure the design can be scaled up to mass-production levels, which includes lowering the cost of production.

"Dow Corning fluids played a critical role in Prof. Silver's pioneering self-adjustable glasses, which have already provided vision correction to approximately 40,000 people in more than 20 countries," said James Stephenson, Dow Corning global healthcare marketing manager and leader of the Child ViSion™ initiative at Dow Corning. "We are excited to further our relationship with the CVDW and to see how our silicon-based technologies can now improve vision correction and the quality of life for children in the developing world."

Editor’s Note
Prof. Silver's original self-adjustable eyeglasses contain special lenses composed of clear membranes that are filled with Dow Corning silicone fluid. By adding or removing fluid via a removable syringe and dial attached to the eyeglasses' frame, wearers can modify the curvature of the lenses and therefore the strength of their eyeglasses. More than 40,000 adults in the developing world have already benefited from this revolutionary technology.

About Dow Corning
Dow Corning (dowcorning.com) provides performance-enhancing solutions to serve the diverse needs of more than 25,000 customers worldwide. A global leader in silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, Dow Corning offers more than 7,000 products and services via the company's Dow Corning® and XIAMETER® brands. Dow Corning is equally owned by The Dow Chemical Company and Corning, Incorporated. More than half of Dow Corning's annual sales are outside the United States. Dow Corning's global operations adhere to the American Chemistry Council's Responsible Care® initiative, a stringent set of standards designed to advance the safe and secure management of chemical products and processes.

About the Centre for Vision in the Developing World
The Centre for Vision in the Developing World (CVDW), based in Oxford, UK, was founded to study the clinical and practical issues in providing vision correction in the developing world. It has a particular focus on self-refraction and was founded by Prof. Joshua Silver, inventor of the world's first universal fluid-filled adjustable eyeglasses.