XL Big Issue brings vendors’ sight loss into focus
The Big Issue has doubled the size of its magazine for one special edition, printing 3,000 oversized copies to make the barriers to eye and hearing care facing people experiencing homelessness impossible to ignore.
Created with Specsavers, the BIGGER Issue is exactly twice the size of the regular publication.
Its cover features vendor Mihaela, shown both blurred and in focus, a nod to life with uncorrected sight problems.
New research behind the edition found one in three people experiencing homelessness have a sight condition, and 44 per cent have never had an eye test or haven’t had one in five years or more.
Discomfort with appointments and worries about glasses costs keep many away despite NHS eligibility, a barrier echoed in a recent Shelter homelessness campaign.
Catherine Parsons, managing director at Big Issue, said: “Better sight and better hearing shouldn’t be a privilege; they’re a foundation for someone rebuilding their independence, finding work or reconnecting with the world around them.”
The edition spotlights the nationwide expansion of Specsavers’ Charity VIP Service, launched in 2022 for Big Issue vendors and now open to anyone experiencing homelessness across the UK and Ireland, extending Specsavers’ hearing loss campaign work.
Carina Hummel, managing director optics at Specsavers, said: “We’re thrilled to be expanding our Charity VIP service across the UK and Ireland, providing a free and judgement-free way for people to access eye and hearing care.”
Local Specsavers stores will distribute copies to homelessness charities to help the message reach those who need it.
Campaign by Golin Ketchum.
See also:
- Specsavers turns up the volume on love with ‘The Relationship Aid’
- Specsavers tackle ‘Resting Squint Face’ with humorous PSA
- Blood-stained newspapers expose the reality of period poverty in South Africa
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