Our Mission - Clearly

What We do

In some ways, fixing the vision problem is simple. We just need to make sure that everyone, no matter where they are in the world, can get a sight test and an affordable pair of glasses, an invention which is 700 years old.

Clearly does this by campaigning to educate the public and world leaders by raising the profile of the issue; championing innovation and spreading best practice that helps make sight tests and affordable glasses available to all in different sectors and in different countries; and connecting people committed to tackling this issue so we can all be a catalyst for change.

Our biggest successes so far have been:

Encouraging Commonwealth leaders in 2018 to commit to providing ‘quality eye care for all
Founding the United Nations’ Friends of Vision group which is now pushing for a UN General Assembly resolution
Publishing gold standard research on the links between vision and productivity
Engaging a number of celebrities to put their #GlassesOn

Who we are

Clearly was founded in 2016 by James Chen. He has been gripped by the issue of poor vision for over a decade, leading and funding projects to drive new progress on an age old problem.

James is the co-founder of Adlens, which is revolutionising lens technology with adjustable focus eyewear. He also set up the charity Vision for a Nation in 2011 with the aim of providing nationwide access to eye care and affordable glasses in Rwanda, a country with a population of 12 million. A stunning success, eye care services are now available to all, and more than 2 million people have received vision screenings.

Clearly was launched as a global campaign to enable access to glasses for everyone in the world. James has made it his personal mission that if a human is to set foot on Mars in the years ahead, everyone should be able to see it happen.

#GLASSESON

Glasses have been around for more than 700 years. They could transform the lives of billions of people and help to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.

That’s why we are committed to getting a pair of glasses on the nose of everyone who needs them. To make our point, we have encouraged celebrities and supporters to put their #GlassesOn for Clearly.

The Book

In James Chen’s book ‘Clearly: How a 700 Year Old Invention Can Change the World Forever’ he explains the barriers to greater global progress in providing vision for everyone and shares his ideas for how we can start to tackle them.

The book reveals the personal stories of people whose lives have been transformed by vision correction, and James delivers a passionate call to governments and international institutions to take immediate action.

Find out more