Answer: ReSpectacle is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that uses the power of the internet to facilitate redistribution of high-quality, donated eyeglasses to underserved individuals & communities worldwide.
Answer: Ordering from ReSpectacle is currently only available to addresses in the United States.

If you live in the United States, follow these instructions:

  1. Visit the following website: http://respectacle.org/
  2. Click "Browse" then enter your prescription given to you by your eye specialist.
  3. Browse through the selection of glasses that approximate your prescription. Detailed photographs can be seen by clicking on the glasses. Percentile match is listed in the right column, which estimates how closely the glasses match your prescription.
    Note: Numbers in green are the best, indicating the closest match to your prescription.
  4. Pick the pair you like best, which also has a high match percentile.
  5. Once a pair is selected, click on "Get these ReSpectacles!".
  6. Fill out the required information including name and mailing address, then click "Order my ReSpectacles!".
  7. Enter information into the secure payment platform to pay the shipping/handling fee.
  8. The glasses will be shipped to you in about 7-10 business days.

Answer: Current information on donating glasses, funds, or time can be found on the Donate page.
Answer: Current information on donating glasses, funds, or time can be found on the Donate page.
Answer: 100% of donations are used toward the mission of ReSpectacle: To facilitate re-distribution of quality, donated eyeglasses to underserved communities worldwide. In many cases, as little as $5 will cover the cost of shipping a pair of glasses to an individual in need. See our Donate page for more information.

Answer: No. ReSpectacle does not recycle contacts lenses at this time.
Answer: No. We only accept glasses in gently-used condition and selectively process the very best donations we receive. See our Donate page for more information.
Answer: No. Glasses with ground-in prism present too many obstacles to an accurate match at this time.
Answer: No. While we used to accept these items, we have chosen to focus our time and resources entirely on distributing donated eyeglasses.
Answer: In an effort to serve more individuals and improve quality measures, we made the difficult decision to start charging a modest fee for spectacle orders. The funds collected from these transactions go directly toward the mission of ReSpectacle: To facilitate re-distribution of quality, donated eyeglasses to underserved communities worldwide.
For those who are able, optional donations at checkout and add-on items like glasses cases help us keep this shipping and handling fee low.
Answer: Glasses ordered after 2020 require a modest shipping and handling fee to help us serve greater numbers of people. This fee will be assessed as you check out.
Answer: Your patient only needs their Sphere/Cyl/Axis values — we'll take care of the rest.
If you would like to help a patient pick out the best glasses, enter their prescription into our Browse page to select an appropriate match and click the "Share these ReSpectacles" button. This will allow you to email your patient a link to the specific pair so she or he can order them when convenient. Shared eyeglasses will be reserved for 24 hours to give your patient a chance to order before the spectacles return to the general catalog.
Answer: No. ReSpectacle is simply an organized resource of used eyeglasses, we do not perform eye exams or give eyeglass prescriptions. In order to use our website, one must obtain an accurate eyeglass prescription from an eye care provider.
Answer: Possibly if you are lucky, however in most circumstances the answer is no. A pair of glasses from ReSpectacle is unlikely to give you the same quality of vision, comfort, and style that you can otherwise get with a pair of custom-made glasses fit by a certified optician.
ReSpectacle was designed to be used by people who have no other means of getting life-changing vision correction. In most circumstances, however, we would expect a match from ReSpectacle to be better than no glasses at all.
Answer: Simply put, a higher number means a better match.
The algorithm will search for any ReSpectacle glasses in the range of the prescription entered by the user. Matches closer to 100% will offer the best chance of improving vision.
As a general guideline:
-Green matches: (90% or above) should be selected whenever possible, as they offer the highest likelihood of user satisfaction.
-Yellow matches: 80-90% are probably going to be better than nothing.
-Red matches: 70-80% offer the lowest likelihood of improving vision. We would suggest only ordering glasses in this range if done under the guidance of an eye care professional.
The algorithm filters out glasses that offer no chance of improving vision based on the prescription entered. Users should recognize that each individual has different sensitivity for refractive error, a 90% match for one individual may be acceptable whereas the same 90% match may not be acceptable to another individual. Acceptable vision correction is never guaranteed.
Answer: Multiple orders are allowed, but we ask that you start with one per person. This will help you gauge whether the prescription is a good fit before committing to multiple pairs. It also helps others who may have a similar prescription find glasses for themselves. Please note that there is a sitewide limit to daily orders and systems are in place to detect unethical use of our service.
Answer: There are many possible reasons why you might not see clearly with your glasses, here are a few possible examples:
  1. There may be a problem with your eye(s') health. Some common examples include cataracts, macular degeneration, dry eye. These are issues that must be handled by a licensed eye doctor.
  2. The glasses are not accurate enough for you. Some people can tolerate a little blur in their prescription while others cannot. Our goal is to provide vision correction--which may be imperfect--for those who have no other means to obtain it in the hopes that something will be better than nothing.
  3. A user error may have occurred. A mistake in choosing the right prescription can lead to ordering the wrong glasses. Please be very precise when entering your prescription.
    Note: Due to privacy laws, we do not store prescriptions and therefore cannot look up what you entered into the site.
  4. The prescription you received from your eye care provider may be inaccurate or out of date. Prescriptions change over time, so you may need to have your prescription updated by your eye doctor.

Due to the wide variety of potential causes, it is impossible for us to speculate why your ReSpectacle glasses may not be working for you. If you would like to try again with another pair you are welcome to do so. As ReSpectacle cannot give medical advice, we recommend discussing the issue with your eye doctor if you continue to have problems. Be sure to let them know that you obtained glasses from ReSpectacle, as they may not be familiar with this charitable organization.

Answer: You are under no obligation to return them, however if you are able, we would gratefully receive them at the address listed on the Donate page. Glasses re-donated will be processed again to correct any errors and listed for ordering.
If you are not able to send the glasses, consider local options for donation.
Answer: Please contact us at help@respectacle.org if you have a special request on a specific pair of glasses.
Answer: If you are planning to use ReSpectacle for a mission trip or other project, we offer bulk orders. To start a bulk order, simply contact help@respectacle.org and we will open a bulk order that you can create at your own pace until you are ready to ship. Note: Shipping and handling fees are reduced depending on the number of glasses ordered.