IAPB announces winners of “Glasses of the Future” competition
Lama Albadeen, 8, of Saudi Arabia, and Grace Retta, 5, of Kenya, will receive cash prizes for their schools.
Lama Albadeen, 8, who is one of the winners of the 2024 International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness "Glasses of the Future" competition. Image credit: International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) is celebrating the UNICEF World Children’s Day today by announcing the winners of “Glasses of the Future,” a global competition that internationally invites children to design glasses for the next generation. Six judges, compiled from a variety of vision-centric organizations around the globe, chose this year’s winners, according to a news release.
Grace Retta, 5, who won for the younger age group in the 2024 International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness "Glasses of the Future" competition. Image credit: International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.
Lama Albadeen, 8, from Saudi Arabia, and Grace Retta, 5, of Kenya, won the 2024 global prizes for their glasses redesigns. Grace won the prize in the younger category. While both winners will receive a cash prize for their school, Lama will receive a 3D render and print of her design, courtesy of Polaroid Eyewear, Safilo.1
The competition received almost 1000 entries from children in 19 countries, including Brazil, India, Mexico, the US, and the UK, according to the release.
Lama’s design, Vision Friend, took an eco-friendly approach, with her glasses to be made out of bamboo and recycled plastic. Additionally, her design featured an alarm, safety traker, and multifunctional charging case.1 “I wanted to include a camera and sensors to detect obstacles – such as doors, stairs, and slippery areas – alerting users with sounds and vibrations in Vision Friend to make life easier for people who are blind or have low vision to help them stay safe wherever they go,” Lama said.
For Grace, she titled her design A Friend for My Eyes, which sported bright colors, customizable lenses, and glow-in-the-dark features in order to captivate other children.1 “I chose bright colors so every child feels represented,” she said. “I wanted to make sure the glasses are fun to wear, so kids aren’t afraid to put them on and show them off! After seeing what Siri can do, I wanted A Friend for My Eyes to have the same thing – sing lullabies, tell stories, and have conversations with me.”
Jo Frost, global parenting expert, TV personality, and one of the judges for the competition, said she saw many designs that gave her hope for future generations. “I was truly impressed by the creativity of these young geniuses and their innovations; each design brought a wide smile of joy,” she said in the release. “We can all agree that eye health is often overlooked in our busy daily lives raising children despite it being crucial for a child’s development and future, however with Lama’s inclusivity and practicality and Grace’s vibrant and inspiring colors, these designs not only showcase that children should be included in the global conversation regarding eye health but to also empower glasses wearers around the world.”
To learn more about the “Glasses of the Future” competition, visit IAPB’s website.
Reference:
Young visionaries win global competition by redesigning the Glasses of the Future. News release. International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. November 20, 2024. Accessed November 20, 2024.
