Take a Selfie and OneSight Will #HelpTheWorldSee

Each school year, our children face a variety of tests: math tests, science tests, midterms, final exams, and even baseline tests at the beginning of the school year and standardized testing throughout the year, depending on their grade level and state mandates. But perhaps one of the most important test our young learners take each year at school is a vision test. This is because how well our students can see plays a large part in how well they learn, process and comprehend the information at hand.

Sadly, that doesn't necessarily mean people who suffer vision deficits will get the glasses that they need. In fact, 1.1 billion people around the world need glasses but don’t yet have access to vision care. That's 1 in 7 of us! As a young high school student, I recall having to sit at the front of classes because I couldn't see well, and when it finally dawned on me that I might need glasses, my entire world changed once I had my first pair. When Angeline was in 10th grade and said that she thought she needed glasses, we went through much the same thing: her vision was much worse than she thought and once she began to wear glasses, an entirely new world opened up to her. I can't imagine what it must be like for the children whose parents can't afford to give them the gift of better vision!

Thankfully, there are amazing programs working to bring the propblem into focus and find attainable solutions. OneSight is one such independent nonprofit, committed to eradicating the global vision care crisis. Their promise is simple: they will not stop until the world can see. Their mission is to provide access to eye exams and glasses to underserved communities around the world.

In 27 years, OneSight has helped 9 million people in 41 countries and 47 states see clearly. One of the great things about OneSight is that it provides charitable and sustainable solutions to meet both the immediate and long-term vision care needs of underserved communities, both internationally and domestically. To do this, more than 1,000 trained volunteers and doctors travel the globe to staff OneSight Clinics and teach local residents as part of our commitment to transfer skills and build sustainable infrastructures in underserved communities.

OneSight believes that through permanent access and sustainable practices, vision care can become readily available to every community, country and continent in our lifetime - and you can help.

It's as simple as posting a photo of yourself or your family, using your hands as glasses (i.e. “hand glasses”) with the hashtag #HelpTheWorldSee on social media to bring attention to OneSight’s mission. You can also help make a difference by donating $1 to the cause.