WTP for Eyeglasses

Eliciting the Willingness to Pay for Eyeglasses

Defective vision is one of the most common disabilities worldwide, yet the economic consequences of vison disability remain understudied.

It is estimated that in developing countries more than 700 million people would need a pair of glasses, but cannot afford it. OneDollarGlasses offers a solution: Glasses that consist of a lightweight, flexible spring steel frame and prefab lenses and can be locally manufactured with simple bending machines. Distributing the OneDollarGlasses through the market is challenging not only due to poverty, but also due to a lack of awareness, beliefs and interest.

This project is the first of a series of and looks into the willingness to pay (WTP) for OneDollarGlasses (ODG) for adults. It aims to shed light onto a key determinant for buying glasses - the price. Furthermore, it also looks into the role of information and liquidity constraints in this context.

The NGO was also recently featured in a Stern TV-documentary:
Hilfsprojekt "Ein-Dollar-Brille" in Bolivien

Related: Recent article in The Economist (Print edition Aug 2nd, 2018).