{"id":6970,"date":"2024-12-13T11:36:36","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T16:36:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bonhommealunettes.org\/?p=6970"},"modified":"2025-07-08T11:45:47","modified_gmt":"2025-07-08T15:45:47","slug":"homelessness-glasses-accessibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bonhommealunettes.org\/en\/litinerance-et-laccessibilite-aux-lunettes\/","title":{"rendered":"Homelessness and Eyewear Accessibility"},"content":{"rendered":"

The issue of accessibility has always been central to Le Bonhomme \u00e0 lunettes. In fact, it's written in black and white in our mission statement: \"\u00a0make eyewear purchases accessible to all\u00a0<\/em>\". So when a study on homelessness and eyewear accessibility is published in Optik<\/a>, we're bound to be interested. Even more so when the author happens to be a colleague.<\/p>\n

Julie Chiasson has been an optician in Bonhomme since 2024<\/a>. After a long and successful career in the restaurant business, her reorientation began with a return to school to obtain her diploma in Optics and Eyewear. As part of her studies, she won first place in the Prix \u00e9tudiants de l\u2019Association pour la recherche au coll\u00e9gial <\/em>in 2022. Her scientific literature review<\/a>, which focused on the accessibility of visual orthotics for people experiencing homelessness, was subsequently transformed into a research project with the support of the C\u00e9gep \u00c9douard-Montpetit research office.<\/p>\n

In collaboration with l\u2019Abri de la Rive-Sud<\/a>, Julie was able to meet homeless people who wore glasses or were dissatisfied with the quality of their vision.<\/p>\n

Visual Disorders: Homeless People Over-represented<\/h3>\n

As pointed out by Benoit Tousignant de l’Universit\u00e9 de Montr\u00e9al<\/a>, visual disorders are more common among the homeless. In fact, right here in Montreal, nearly 25% of homeless people have poor visual acuity (6\/12), compared to just 6% of the general population. With visual impairments like these, it's hard to carry out everyday tasks that many of us take for granted.<\/p>\n

Access to Eyewear: a Key to Rehabilitation<\/h3>\n

It's no coincidence, then, that 85% of the people interviewed said their vision problems were a hindrance to their daily lives. What's more, only one in two of those surveyed owned a pair of glasses. Good vision is basic. Yet far too many people experiencing homelessness make the decision to \u201clive with\u201d their vision problems. This is a major problem. It's hard to talk about reintegration when someone has difficulty seeing properly. Not surprisingly, 55% of respondents felt that the quality of their vision would prevent them from returning to work.<\/p>\n

Some Existing Solutions<\/h3>\n

When asked, a majority of respondents (60%) felt it was difficult for them to buy prescription glasses. Barriers related to the price of glasses (42%) and the cost of eye examinations (33%) topped the list. It is also important to note that 41.7% of respondents on social assistance were unaware of the existence of a financial support program for the purchase of glasses.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, we offer a brief guide to existing solutions:<\/p>\n

Eye Exam<\/h3>\n