as far as the eye can see, a photo series about access to vision care
Nuriel Delmée | blurred 2022 | in collaboration with He-Optik
Visual aids are not accessible to everyone. I gained firsthand insight into blurred vision through an experiment conducted by a friend who is an optician. Curious, he inserted lenses into my eyes, resulting in a discomforting experience where everything appeared blurry, severely limiting my visual perception.
This issue, which has been on my mind for some time, also brought to mind a newspaper article I read in a local magazine. A few years ago, the Swiss glass manufacturer 'OptiSwiss' launched a campaign in collaboration with opticians, optometrists, and ophthalmologists aimed at collecting old glasses for those in need in Morocco.
One of the participating opticians, He-Optik at Meierhofplatz in Höngg, Zurich, continues to collect glasses, even those with incorrect prescriptions or those no longer in fashion. With a team of volunteers, these glasses were transported to Morocco and distributed to residents who couldn't afford eyewear or eye examinations. The optician made on-the-spot adjustments.
Robert Werlen from He-Optik has visited Morocco three times, fitting approximately 80 pairs of glasses per day. He generously shared his experiences with me for my project, which aims to raise awareness about the lack of accessible visual aids.
Visual aids are not accessible to everyone. I gained firsthand insight into blurred vision through an experiment conducted by a friend who is an optician. Curious, he inserted lenses into my eyes, resulting in a discomforting experience where everything appeared blurry, severely limiting my visual perception.
This issue, which has been on my mind for some time, also brought to mind a newspaper article I read in a local magazine. A few years ago, the Swiss glass manufacturer 'OptiSwiss' launched a campaign in collaboration with opticians, optometrists, and ophthalmologists aimed at collecting old glasses for those in need in Morocco.
One of the participating opticians, He-Optik at Meierhofplatz in Höngg, Zurich, continues to collect glasses, even those with incorrect prescriptions or those no longer in fashion. With a team of volunteers, these glasses were transported to Morocco and distributed to residents who couldn't afford eyewear or eye examinations. The optician made on-the-spot adjustments.
Robert Werlen from He-Optik has visited Morocco three times, fitting approximately 80 pairs of glasses per day. He generously shared his experiences with me for my project, which aims to raise awareness about the lack of accessible visual aids.
OptiSwiss discontinued the campaign for several reasons. Despite this, Robert Werlen continues to collect glasses and passes them on to a colleague who travels to Romania once a year as part of a small aid project.
This topic deeply resonates with me, and therefore, I intend to pursue a project idea. My goal is to create eyeglass chains as accessories for glasses and donate them for the next trip.
I am currently in discussions with the relevant individuals to assess the demand for this initiative. If not, I will continue to brainstorm and explore ways to provide visual aids to those in need.
This topic deeply resonates with me, and therefore, I intend to pursue a project idea. My goal is to create eyeglass chains as accessories for glasses and donate them for the next trip.
I am currently in discussions with the relevant individuals to assess the demand for this initiative. If not, I will continue to brainstorm and explore ways to provide visual aids to those in need.