Extra credit reflection by ANGELA W.
Original TED page w/ speaker bio, links, comments, etc:
John Silver: Demos Adjustable Liquid-filled Eyeglasses
Well, I think people with accents make everything more interesting. But even if he did not have an accent, this talk would have been just as interesting.
I have bad vision and I used to wear glasses until I got contacts. Luckily, I can afford contacts. Glasses, Contacts and eye correction surgery are expensive. But glasses are the least expensive. More than half of the world suffers from bad vision and half of those people cannot do anything about it.
John Silver invented an inexpensive and quick way to get glasses: water-filled glasses. The pair John owns cost him $19. He is trying to get them populated enough to go down to $1 for those that live off $1 a day. People that cannot afford prescription glasses are left with no option but to try to see with bad eyes. This can affect how children see the world and with their education. If I child cannot see very well, it is difficult for them to read and write. This could cause them to process things slower than someone with perfect vision. It is not only a problem for children, but adults too.
Adults still learn for the rest of their lives and it would be difficult for them to help educate their children if they have a hard time seeing. Also, they would not be able to drive or do many other things if they do not have vision aid.
I really respect and appreciate John’s invention. It is nice to see people trying to change the world for the better, one step at a time. Maybe, I will see someone walk by me one day wearing water-filled glasses.
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