In 2015, the Be My Eyes app, a free virtual sighted assistant, was launched. APH VisionAware published a post by Audrey Demmitt, Peer Advisor, sharing her reaction and how it was recommended by her eye doctor. “As an eye doctor, I have a variety of special tools available to help those with vision impairment,” Dr Henahan explained. “But sometimes there is no substitute for a pair of eyes to see something.”
Today, the Be My Eyes app has expanded and is used by almost 1 million blind and low vision users with 10 million sighted volunteers worldwide. “Using the volunteer assistance has worked out well and I have had great experiences, “ Trina Bassak, Peer Advisor, said. “The people were friendly, courteous and helpful.”
What is Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes is an app where sighted volunteers provide visual information to people with blindness and low vision. By simply tapping the button “Call a Volunteer” on the home screen you can get assistance for many daily tasks. Need to read a food label? Find something that fell on the floor? Check clothing for stains? Read instructions for a new product? Get a description of a photo? Be My Eyes can help.
“My husband, Bill and I use Be My Eyes every day for all our reading needs. We read mail and the daily menus we receive from the chef at our Independent Living community,” said Dayle Kaine, Peer Advisor. “We also utilize it for identifying whether or not there are spots on clothing.”
Create Private Sighted Groups
Additionally, you can create a private group of sighted volunteers who are trusted friends and family, providing a secure, familiar way to get help. This feature offers an alternative to calling random volunteers for tasks like reading confidential information. Just have your sighted friend or family member sign up as a volunteer and then select them in the app.
AI Assistance for the Blind and Low Vision
Not only does Be My Eyes offer sighted volunteers but there is an AI assistant. Don’t want to use a sighted volunteer? Want to have more privacy and independence? Just go to the tab that says, “Be My AI.” Then take a picture and AI will instantly provide a visual detailed description.
“I have used the Be My AI on a regular basis for mostly reading mailing addresses, labels and business cards. This lets me decide if I need to save something or I can copy the name and number into my computer,” Trina explains. “The feature for asking questions is great as I dictate a specific question on a long piece of text and the answer is simple. Rather than typing it into my computer. I have also used it to see what is on my computer screen when my screen reader, JAWS, stops talking and I can’t figure out why.”
Trina also used the Be My AI feature to take images of greeting cards during the holiday season. “The description is usually more detailed than a sighted helper would give and very enjoyable,” She said. “I have even used it to describe decorations as the verbal picture is very vivid and definitely enhances the holiday.”
No need to guess. Whether it’s a menu, a document or a tricky computer interface, AI helps you navigate with confidence. Plus, you can easily go back and get sighted assistance for more help or handling complicated tasks.
Traveling Overseas
Be My AI is great for traveling overseas or locally. “There is a built-in translation function in the app. Traveling in Europe, I’ve used it to figure out certain signs or tickets. Sometimes it’s even a bit too much information, such as all the warnings and rules it read to me on the back of a train ticket in Slovakia, but I appreciate this amazing feature even with too much information,” said Elizabeth Salmon, Peer Advisor. “The ability to ask additional questions with the AI is also useful, such as studying the background of a picture for details not included in the initial description.”
Using apps on any smartphone typically requires using your hands and fingers. Be My Eyes provides a hands-free experience. Through their partnership with Ray Band Meta AI Glasses blind and low vision users can call a sighted volunteer to get visual descriptions. Just give a voice command to call the volunteer, who will see through the camera of your smart glasses and provide audible feedback directly through the open-ear speakers.
Support for Blind and Low Vision Employees
Be My Eyes is constantly improving the app experience and finding innovative ways to help blind and low vision people. A recent development is the Be My Eyes Workplace, a platform geared toward businesses and organizations who want to provide support to their blind and low vision employees. It is much like the Be My Eyes App but is a computer software that combines AI and live sighted support from your desktop.
This accessible work tool will help Blind and low vision employees accomplish many work-related tasks such as:
1. Use the Workplace AI assistant to get instant descriptions of anything on your screen through an easy shortcut.
2. Use the Workplace Reader to access PDFs, images, and charts.
3. Use Workplace Connect to converse with trusted work colleagues or support agents immediately.
Whether it’s navigating documents, understanding charts, or collaborating with colleagues, Be My Eyes Workplace increases your independence and efficiency. This accessibility tool can make a huge difference in your daily work duties.
Learn More About These Features and More
These are not all the features of Be My Eyes. But you can learn more at their website or download the app. The Be My Eyes app is free and available for iPhone through the app store or Android through Google Play Store.