Poor health and homelessness go hand in hand: according to Crisis, 78% of the homeless population report physical health problems, compared to 37% of the general population. At the same time, accessing healthcare is much harder when you face the complex issues that come with living in poverty or without a permanent address.
That’s why Specsavers has put making eye care and hearing care accessible to all at the heart of its mission, partnering with a range of organisations that directly tackle inequality. In November 2022, Big Issue launched our Vision for Change partnership with Specsavers to offer free eye tests, prescription glasses and earwax removal to all of our vendors and frontline staff.
It is part of Specsavers’ wider initiative on homelessness, developing innovative programmes with Crisis, Vision Care for Homeless People (VCHP), Simon Community Northern Ireland and Focus Ireland, with a goal of reaching as many people as possible who face challenges accessing eye and ear health services. Here we see how that work is expanding and making a difference.
Big Issue joins call for a National Eye Health Strategy
Big Issue founder Lord John Bird and Specsavers co-founder Dame Mary Perkins are supporting Battersea MP Marsha de Cordova’s call for an integrated National Eye Health Strategy in England, to remove barriers that make it hard for people experiencing homelessness to access free eye care. One in three have sight issues, as well as higher rates of undetected gl
