Correcting the near vision of garment factory workers with eyeglasses increased their productivity by approximately 6%, according to a landmark randomised controlled trial conducted in India and published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
The study found that 27% of the sewing machine operators screened had uncorrected near-vision impairment and did not own eyeglasses. The trial provided free glasses to 344 operators experiencing presbyopia, an age-related loss of near vision, at factories owned by Shahi Exports, India’s largest apparel manufacturer. Following vision correction, workers made fewer errors and completed more garments.
The intervention was implemented in the field by VisionSpring and Good Business Lab, with academic leadership from Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Michigan and the University of California San Diego. It was funded by USAID, The Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation and the Livelihood Impact Fund.
Ella Gudwin, Chief Executive of VisionSpring and co-author of the study, said, “Eyeglasses are one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to improve productivity in a factory. For factory owners in a highly competitive sector, having a workforce that can see clearly is an essential competitive advantage. Ministries of Labor in countries with large manufacturing workforces, including apparel and footwear, could achieve a rapid injection of economic growth by ensuring all workers see well to do well.”
The complete intervention, including vision screening, provision of near-vision eyeglasses and encouragement to wear them regularly, cost less than USD 10 per worker. It generated USD 3.37 for every USD 1 invested during the three-month trial, representing a 337% return on investment. If sustained over 12 months, the study projects that the return could increase to 1,647%.
Based on the trial’s 5.7% productivity gain and the observed prevalence of uncorrected presbyopia, scaling vision correction across the global textile and garment workforce could enable the production of an estimated 3.8 billion additional garments and add the equivalent of USD 27 billion in annual industry output.
Encouraged by the findings, Shahi Exports has announced plans to introduce free vision screening across all its factories in India, covering a workforce of more than 100,000 people.
Anant Ahuja, Director of ESG and Sustainability at Shahi Exports, said, “Through a simple pair of eyeglasses, we are investing both in the wellbeing of our workers and in the productivity of our business through an initiative that pays for itself. We will now roll out vision screening across all our factories in India.”
The study strengthens VisionSpring’s efforts to establish eye care as an essential component of workplace health, inclusion and productivity. VisionSpring is already working with companies including VF Corporation, Deckers Brands and Primark to correct the vision of workers across their supply chains, with funding support for eyeglasses from Warby Parker.
