Be My Eyes

Sometimes all you need to do to find assistance is let someone know you need it. That’s exactly the principle behind Be My Eyes, the app that connects sighted people who can lend their eyes to the blind in times of need.
Imagine the frustration of being blind and needing to view something as basic as allergen information on a food label, or select the correct can from the pantry. Little things like this that the sighted don’t give a second thought to can add a lot of hassle to the day of a blind person. Now, with just a tap, the blind can ask sighted volunteers via the Be My Eyes app to eliminate the complication.

The sighted person simply takes a look using live video chat, describes what it is they see to the non-seeing person, and then both move on with their day effortlessly. It works very similarly to taxi apps; people in need are matched with people available to help at the time of the request. Essentially, Be My Eyes is crowdsourcing vision for the blind.

Almost 250,000 users are already receiving or providing assistance. The app is available for download in the Apple Store, and Android users can sign up for a mailing list that will alert them of the apps future availability.