Developed by a man who experiences visual impairment himself, the app Be My Eyes currently serves 80,000 blind and visually-impaired people with the help of 1.2 million volunteers around the world. How does it work?
When a visually-impaired person requires assistance with a task — checking the expiration date on food, adjusting air conditioning, looking at directions, and more — they can request help from the app. Volunteers then receive a notification, and, if they accept the request, a live video stream will open between their phones, allowing the sighted person to answer questions, read directions aloud, or otherwise assist in whatever the person needs. Currently, the average wait time between requesting and receiving help for blind person using the app is just 30 seconds.
The founder of the app explained, “[For many blind people], even if their friends and family like to help them, it can be difficult to call them and ask for help because you are always the person asking for help. But with Be My Eyes, you know 100 percent that the person who picks up wants to help you.”
Another representative said the app has been called “a good deed waiting to happen in your pocket,” and indeed it is. If you’re visually impaired or know someone who is, consider checking out the app. If you’re sighted, consider becoming a volunteer and take advantage of the opportunity to help someone live their life with greater ease and confidence.
You can find out more in the video below.
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