@XauriEL

Lucky you if you also live in #NZ. I'm in the #US.

Disclaimer: I'm not seeking sympathy, only sharing truth. I'm doing this because this is not the standard experience for glasses-wearers. My eyes have been this way for decades, and, no, I don't really have other options.

I require special glasses. Due to bilateral #aphakia (lack of organic lenses in my eyes) and the unsuitability of my eyes to accommodate lens implants, my glasses are hugely thick, and cost around $500/pair. This is with a #visionPlan from my employer. I'm not even going to try to buy glasses out-of-pocket.

The high cost is allegedly due to the very small number of people who need this type of lens. I also cannot get any kind of coating on my glasses - no UV protection, no scratch resistance, nothing.

And, I really need two pairs. Because my eyes cannot focus, I only see things clearly at the two specific focal distances in my bifocals. I have to turn my head, rather than turn my eyes. And neither of those focal points is well-suited to computer use. So I have one pair for work, and another for the rest of my life.

No employer has ever accommodated this. They would buy me additional computer monitors (my head can only turn so much, so two is the most I can actually use) but not that specific pair of glasses.