So I was on the subway today and saw a blind man with a seeing-eye dog. I'm sure everyone thinks this all the time, but when I saw him I couldn't help but think (again) "damn, that must suck to not be able to see."
I have pretty bad vision in both my eyes, so while I may not be blind, I know what it's like to have terrible and basically unusable vision. Without my glasses or contacts I can basically see my way to the bathroom at night and back--that's it. Any deviations from that path will either lead to a 1) very scared me or 2) very injured me.
In that light it's kind of nuts to think about all those people in 3rd world countries who have vision like mine; who basically can't see on a day to day basis. Unlike that man on the subway, those living with impaired vision in developing nations have the possibility of regaining their sight, but they just don't have the monetary means.
So I was pretty astounded when I found out about Adspecs, which are essentially $20 glasses. Not only do the glasses cost only $20, but they also remove the need to have a professional optometrist examine you, a large added cost to traditional glasses.
Adspecs are oil-filled glasses whose lenses are adjustable by a dial on the side. The oil fills the space in-between the membrane of the lenses allowing the lens to expand or contract with it, adjusting the magnification. They're not pretty, but they get the job done. The end goal of the developer is to have them sell for $1 each.
That's awesome, and I hope people never have to see like I do without my glasses again.
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