Mobile refraction vans that take vision care into hard-to-reach communities was one of the first inclusive programs Essilor pioneered in India. Today, we support partners operating mobile vision clinics across a number of different countries.
The dual challenge
Awareness and access to vision care are inextricably linked. To succeed in educating people to take care of their visual health, we have to provide solutions at the point of need.


On the spot dispensing
Typically each van is equipped with optical instruments for vision screening and refraction testing as well as lens-edging equipment to fit, mount and dispense prescription eyeglasses. This enables teams visiting underserved locations to test and equip people in need of vision correction on the spot.
Partners have adapted this mobile vision care model to their specific local conditions. Some use vision vans to link rural networks of vision care entrepreneurs; others to tour villages as part of a visual health campaigns. They are also being used by specialist eye hospitals to expand reach into rural communities and to provide or ophthalmic services in low-income city environments where there is a shortage of eye care professionals.


Since 2013, Essilor has been exploring different inclusive business models to solve the issue of access to vision care by creating the infrastructure to serve ‘base of the pyramid’ consumers.
