New or used?
Historically, many overseas eye care aid programs have relied on the use of donated recycled glasses to correct refractive error in populations provided with testing or care. More recently, there has been a trend away from this. Some significant developments mean that it has become more affordable and practical to provide new glasses and vision aids. Increasingly, aid programs are supporting projects to produce these items in the countries in which the eye care programs are being conducted. This encourages modest infrastructure development and provides local employment opportunities.
The governments of a number of countries, including East Timor and China, now no longer accept the use of donated glasses in eye care programs. The governments prefer to support and encourage programs that provide new glasses and are able to meet the clinical and cosmetic expectations of the community.
Some eye care organisations, including the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE) promote this approach and do not accept donations of previously used glasses or use them in the programs. The ICEE Global Resource Centre has been established to support this philosophy, by providing non-government organisations and government-funded eye care programs with access to a reliable supply of ready-made glasses, lenses and other visual aids that can be purchased in some cases for less than $2 per item. They argue it a more cost-effective way of providing eye care, and that the new glasses are better able to meet the clinical and cosmetic expectations of the community.
A study of a glasses recycling program in the Pacific nation of Tuvalu found recycling glasses was not an effective way of meeting the eye care needs of the communities, due to the significant cosmetic and clinical limitations of the donated glasses. Only thirteen percent of glasses donated through the program were deemed acceptable for the needs of the local populations.
There are still some international eye care programs which do use recycled glasses. However, the infrastructure needed to ensure the glasses are clinically and cosmetically suitable is considerable. Overall, the use of and call for used glasses in overseas eye care programs is diminishing, and likely to diminish further.
Our position
"Optometrists Association Victoria does not accept donations of used glasses. This is due to the decreasing number of options for re-using these glasses, and the fact that in the past, many of the glasses we received were unsuitable for further use".
Where practical and possible, the use of cost-effective new glasses is preferred to donated glasses for use in overseas aid programs.
Optometrists Association Victoria recognises that many optometrists and their patients do see the donation of used glasses as making a worthwhile contribution to the provision of eye care in aid programs and resource poor settings.
Optometrists Association Victoria endorses comments made by the World Health Organisation that “affordable or fully subsidised spectacles should be provided to those in need, preferably at the site of screening/refraction. The spectacles should be of acceptable optical and safety quality (conforming to ISO standards), be of good/acceptable appearance and be well-fitted to encourage use”.
Optometrists Association Victoria recommends that all donated used glasses provided for use in overseas aid programs should meet the minimum safety standards, and be subject to the clinical and cosmetic considerations, described in the guidelines below.
Guidelines for donation of used glasses to programs
The following guidelines have been developed to assist members who want to donate used glasses to overseas or local programs.
-
Before sending a donation to any organisation, members are encouraged to confirm that the organisation accepts them. Unsolicited donations where there is no clear mechanism for their efficient distribution may cause unnecessary administration for the organisation, and sometimes end up being thrown out.
-
Glasses or frames should be clean, intact, in good condition, and not too old.
-
The glasses should be reasonably attractive, and likely to fit. The lenses should be intact, without scratches or any other damage.
-
Glasses should be clearly labelled with full information about the prescription, to assist in sorting.
-
Ideally, we suggest you seek information about the setting or settings in which the glasses will be used. You may be able to get this from optometrists participating in that setting, who are likely to understand local needs, and any government policies. This will help in the following considerations.
-
It is helpful prescriptions in the glasses you collect are likely to be a reasonable match with the eye care needs of the community. The glasses themselves should be appropriate. For example, if the program includes larger numbers of young people, families or school aged children, then donations of large, older-style frames that may have been used by elderly patients might not be helpful. Often, very large frames aren’t useful to populations where people may have smaller or finer features.
-
Some particular prescriptions might be very useful, if the glasses are in otherwise good condition as described above. An example might be glasses with very high correction, as these may be harder for programs to source ready-made or by other means.
New or used?
Historically, many overseas eye care aid programs have relied on the use of donated recycled glasses to correct refractive error in populations provided with testing or care. More recently, there has been a trend away from this. Some significant developments mean that it has become more affordable and practical to provide new glasses and vision aids. Increasingly, aid programs are supporting projects to produce these items in the countries in which the eye care programs are being conducted. This encourages modest infrastructure development and provides local employment opportunities.
The governments of a number of countries, including East Timor and China, now no longer accept the use of donated glasses in eye care programs. The governments prefer to support and encourage programs that provide new glasses and are able to meet the clinical and cosmetic expectations of the community.
Some eye care organisations, including the International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE) promote this approach and do not accept donations of previously used glasses or use them in the programs. The ICEE Global Resource Centre has been established to support this philosophy, by providing non-government organisations and government-funded eye care programs with access to a reliable supply of ready-made glasses, lenses and other visual aids that can be purchased in some cases for less than $2 per item. They argue it a more cost-effective way of providing eye care, and that the new glasses are better able to meet the clinical and cosmetic expectations of the community.
A study of a glasses recycling program in the Pacific nation of Tuvalu found recycling glasses was not an effective way of meeting the eye care needs of the communities, due to the significant cosmetic and clinical limitations of the donated glasses. Only thirteen percent of glasses donated through the program were deemed acceptable for the needs of the local populations.
There are still some international eye care programs which do use recycled glasses. However, the infrastructure needed to ensure the glasses are clinically and cosmetically suitable is considerable. Overall, the use of and call for used glasses in overseas eye care programs is diminishing, and likely to diminish further.
Our position
"Optometrists Association Victoria does not accept donations of used glasses. This is due to the decreasing number of options for re-using these glasses, and the fact that in the past, many of the glasses we received were unsuitable for further use".
Where practical and possible, the use of cost-effective new glasses is preferred to donated glasses for use in overseas aid programs.
Optometrists Association Victoria recognises that many optometrists and their patients do see the donation of used glasses as making a worthwhile contribution to the provision of eye care in aid programs and resource poor settings.
Optometrists Association Victoria endorses comments made by the World Health Organisation that “affordable or fully subsidised spectacles should be provided to those in need, preferably at the site of screening/refraction. The spectacles should be of acceptable optical and safety quality (conforming to ISO standards), be of good/acceptable appearance and be well-fitted to encourage use”.
Optometrists Association Victoria recommends that all donated used glasses provided for use in overseas aid programs should meet the minimum safety standards, and be subject to the clinical and cosmetic considerations, described in the guidelines below.
Guidelines for donation of used glasses to programs
The following guidelines have been developed to assist members who want to donate used glasses to overseas or local programs.
-
Before sending a donation to any organisation, members are encouraged to confirm that the organisation accepts them. Unsolicited donations where there is no clear mechanism for their efficient distribution may cause unnecessary administration for the organisation, and sometimes end up being thrown out.
-
Glasses or frames should be clean, intact, in good condition, and not too old.
-
The glasses should be reasonably attractive, and likely to fit. The lenses should be intact, without scratches or any other damage.
-
Glasses should be clearly labelled with full information about the prescription, to assist in sorting.
-
Ideally, we suggest you seek information about the setting or settings in which the glasses will be used. You may be able to get this from optometrists participating in that setting, who are likely to understand local needs, and any government policies. This will help in the following considerations.
-
It is helpful prescriptions in the glasses you collect are likely to be a reasonable match with the eye care needs of the community. The glasses themselves should be appropriate. For example, if the program includes larger numbers of young people, families or school aged children, then donations of large, older-style frames that may have been used by elderly patients might not be helpful. Often, very large frames aren’t useful to populations where people may have smaller or finer features.
-
Some particular prescriptions might be very useful, if the glasses are in otherwise good condition as described above. An example might be glasses with very high correction, as these may be harder for programs to source ready-made or by other means.