Seeing Clearly: The Impact of Affordable Eyeglasses on Daily Life in Kenya

Access to Eyeglasses in Kenya: A Persistent Gap

Globally, more than 1 billion people live with vision impairment, with an estimated 826 million experiencing avoidable vision loss due to uncorrected refractive errors 1. For many in underserved communities, access to something as basic as eyeglasses remains limited by cost, availability of prescription services, and broader resource constraints.

Across sub-Saharan Africa, over 70% of people with refractive errors do not have access to eyeglasses 2. In Kenya alone, around 3.5 million people are affected. This gap reflects not only financial and geographic barriers, but also a limited eyecare workforce 4. A population of roughly 50 million is served by fewer than 150 ophthalmologists and 190 optometrists 5, a ratio far below the

WHO’s recommended minimum of 1 per 55,000 6. These factors limit the reach of existing eyecare services, particularly in underserved communities, and highlight the need for alternative approaches. This report examines one such approach. Dot Glasses, a Nairobi-based social venture, has developed a simplified model designed to extend access to people in hard-to-reach communities. Drawing on learnings from a field trial of their model, conducted as part of the AT2030 programme, this report explores what access to eyeglasses meant for those who received them, and what this suggests for similar approaches in comparable settings.

The report draws on survey,  questionnaire, and interview data  from people who received eyeglasses  through the trial. Participants  reported meaningful improvements  in daily activities such as reading,  phone use, schoolwork, and mobility,  alongside increased independence  and confidence. Experiences were  not uniform: some participants  reported discomfort or more modest  benefits, and a small minority  reported no improvement or reduced  independence