Eyewear Made Specifically for Special Needs Kids

(Photo: Specs4usUS)

About 60% of people with Down Syndrome have vision problems. But most eyeglasses frames won't fit the facial features of people with it.

For Maria Dellapina, a single mother of 4 children, that was a problem. Her daughter, Erin, couldn't find glasses that fit her. So in 2004, she founded SPECS4US, a company that produces glasses for children and adults with Down Syndrome. The Erin's World line of frames gives users fashionable, practical choices for glasses.

The Huffington Post describes how the Erin's World glasses are different:

However, because many people with the disorder have flattened faces, particularly the bridge of their noses, it’s difficult to find frames that fit. 

“I noticed a typical frame wouldn’t fit properly,” Dellapina, who had originally designed some frames for her daughter on a piece of paper, said at the conference.

To help alleviate the issue, Specs4us’ “Erin’s World” frame line, inspired by Dellapina’s daughter, is crafted to accommodate a low nasal bridge, according to the company’s website. The arms of the glasses are also modified to prevent them from slipping down.