In 2009, a Navy veteran's low-cost invention helped thousands get glasses in places without eye doctors

USee Vision Kit: After retiring from the military in 2009, former US Navy and Marine Corps officer Kevin White set out to solve a problem he had witnessed during humanitarian work in Africa: millions of people with poor eyesight had no access to eye doctors or affordable prescription glasses.

White had first encountered the issue in 2005 while serving as a humanitarian assistance officer with US European Command during a mission in rural Morocco, as per a report. Medical teams were testing vision and distributing donated eyeglasses, but he saw firsthand that finding the right prescription was only part of the challenge.


One woman rejected a pair of glasses that matched her prescription because she did not want to wear them. Instead, she chose a pair she liked, even though they did not help her see clearly.

White said, "It doesn't matter [your economic or social circumstances], nobody wants to look stupid. And I said, 'Man, there has got to be a better way.' So, I left Morocco determined to find out more about the problem," as quoted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

A military veteran turned inventor after retiring in 2009

After leaving the military in 2009, White devoted himself to researching eye health, vision technology and the barriers preventing people from getting glasses.

His work led him to physicist Joshua Silver of Oxford University, inventor of self-adjustable fluid-filled Adspecs glasses. Between 2009 and 2013, the pair worked together to distribute about 30,000 pairs of glasses across Africa.

Although the glasses allowed users to adjust their own prescriptions, White found that they had practical limitations. The fluid-filled lenses required calibration and could be affected by leaks, pressure and temperature changes. He also found that many younger people were reluctant to wear them because of their appearance.

Developing a low-cost vision testing system

Drawing on engineering knowledge from his years in the Navy, White began designing a different solution.

Using pencil sketches, he developed a vision-testing device that allowed people to adjust a variable-power lens until they could see clearly. He later worked with experts from Oxford University and plastics manufacturer PolyOne, now Avient Corporation, to turn the concept into a working product.

The invention went through years of research, design, clinical trials and field testing before eventually becoming part of the USee Vision Kit.

The kit includes the vision-testing device, eyeglass frames, snap-in prescription lenses, reading glasses and diagnostic accessories. It is designed for use by non-governmental organizations, health groups and government agencies in areas with limited access to eye care.

Helping people in communities without eye doctors

White's invention has been used in remote communities where optometrists are scarce.

During a trip to Namibia in 2018, White tested the eyesight of a 13-year-old boy using the USee Vision Kit. After receiving prescription glasses, the teenager excitedly pointed out rocks, trees, goats and two trees on top of a nearby hill that he had never been able to see before.

According to Anton Poplett, founder of the humanitarian organization 4x4 Outfar, the boy later advanced two grade levels within six months after receiving his glasses, as per the report.

White said vision affects education, employment and safety, noting that many communities still lack access to basic eye care.

Reaching hundreds of thousands of people

According to Global Vision 2020, White's nonprofit organization, more than 750,000 people in 67 countries have benefited from his invention and eye health advocacy.

The USee Vision Kit has also been used in the United States. In Arizona, Street Medicine Phoenix has used it to provide vision testing and prescription glasses for people experiencing homelessness.

White said his goal is to improve access to eyeglasses for communities that lack adequate eye care.

He said, “My next step, my goal, is to solve that. Once we have ubiquitous eyeglass access then I’ll be happy,” adding, “It just seems fair. What’s not fair is being born in a place that doesn’t have access and having to suffer because of it,” as quoted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.