Living in a visually-driven world, we often forget those around us with limited sight or who are entirely blind. A few decades ago, people with visual disabilities had to rely on white canes, guide dogs, and good Samaritans when crossing the street or buying groceries. Although these methods are still effective, more advanced options have become available through technology.
Two such technological advances for the visually impaired are the apps Be My Eyes and Seeing AI ─ both with multiple benefits and functions.
Be My Eyes
This efficient app uses visually abled volunteers to bring sight to the blind and low visioned through live video calls. It has more than 4 million volunteers and is available across the globe in 180 languages.
Download: Be My Eyes for iOS | Android (Free)
How Did Be My Eyes Start?
Be My Eyes was founded by Hans Jorgen Wiberg, a visually disabled Danish man whose blind friend told him he uses video calls to friends and family whenever he needed assistance.
The app was launched for iOS in January 2015, and within 24 hours, it had more than 10,000 users. The Android version followed in October 2017 to rave reviews. Be My Eyes walked away with the Google Play Awards for Most Innovative, Best Daily Helper, and Best Hidden Gem in 2017, as well as the Best Accessibility award in 2018.
Small acts of kindness go a long way to connect the world, and therefore, the app’s primary goal is to give sight to the visually disabled by assisting them with everyday tasks.
How Does Be My Eyes Work for the Visually Impaired?
If you’re blind or have low vision, join the Be My Eyes network by downloading the app and signing up as a blind or low-vision user. The app connects you to a worldwide community of sighted volunteers, all ready and able to assist you whenever you need help. The calls are unlimited ─ all you need is a smartphone and a stable internet connection.
When you ask for assistance through Be My Eyes, the app notifies the volunteers you’re paired with based on your language preference and location. Be My Eyes will connect you to the first volunteer who answers the request ─ it usually happens within 30 seconds!
The volunteer will get a live video feed from your smartphone’s rear-facing camera. The audio connection allows you to talk to the volunteer and receive help for your task, whether it be to find your wallet or cross the street.
In February 2018, Be My Eyes added the Specialized Help feature, which connects you with actual company representatives who can assist you with more subject-specific and technical tasks. The Specialized Help option offers a list of available businesses and which specialized fields they cover.
The connection process works the same as when you request regular assistance.
How Does Be My Eyes Work for Volunteers?
If you’d like to lend a hand to visually impaired people as a Be My Eyes volunteer, simply download the app and sign up as a volunteer. Enter your full name, email address, and password to create an account, choose your location, and select the language(s) in which you can assist. Then wait for the phone to ring!
How Does Be My Eyes Benefit People With Visual Impairment?
You can use the app indoors to:
- Find your lost keys.
- Match your clothing’s color scheme.
- Read labels and expiration dates on food items or medication bottles.
- Find out whether the lights in your home are on or off.
- Read your electricity meter.
- Fix computer issues if you don’t have Jaws, Screen Reader, or other talk-back assistance on your computer.
- Distinguish between several items on a shelf.
You can use the app outdoors to:
- Describe your surroundings as you walk down the street.
- Find a store entrance or open table in a restaurant.
- Let you know public transport schedules.
- Assist with shopping for groceries or browsing at a flea market.
Seeing AI
If you’re not keen on talking to strangers, Seeing AI will fit you like a glove. This easy-to-use iOS app acts as your eyes by narrating the world around you in numerous languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, and Japanese.
Download: Seeing AI for iOS (Free)
How Did Seeing AI Start?
This highly effective app was launched by Microsoft in July 2017. Seeing AI aims to empower people with visual disabilities and give them insight into the world around them by using their smartphones.
Seeing AI was well-received worldwide and won several accessibility awards, including the prestigious Helen Keller Achievement Award from the American Foundation for the Blind in 2018.
How Does Seeing AI Work?
Seeing AI uses the rear camera on your smartphone to identify and narrate the world around you, turning the daily unseen into an audible experience. The app can identify objects, text, and even people. You can use Seeing AI to complete multiple tasks you’re otherwise incapable of doing due to your visual impairment.
How Does Seeing AI Benefit You as a Person With a Visual Disability?
You can use the app to:
- Describe the colors visible through your smartphone’s camera.
- Recognize bills and currencies when you pay cash.
- Guide you to capture a printed document and the app will start reading aloud when it recognizes text.
- Scan and read handwritten text that’s not always accessible via a regular computer scanner.
- Generate a sound related to the brightness around you.
- Recognize your friends and describe people’s facial expressions.
- Help you locate a barcode through beeps and identify the product.
- Describe your surroundings as you walk down the street or in a shopping mall.
Why Should You Use Be My Eyes and Seeing AI?
Just because you have a visual disability, doesn’t mean you have to always rely on friends and family for guidance or that you should miss out on all the color, glamor, and practical options your surrounding have to offer.
Whether you want the personal touch of having a human aid you in your everyday tasks, or you prefer artificial intelligence to guide your path ─ let technological advances like Be My Eyes and Seeing AI bring light to your life and give you an independence you never thought possible.
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