Although blind people are generally capable of going about things unaided, there are times when seeing something is a necessity. A new mobile app aims to help the blind in those situations. Be My Eyes connects individuals in need of visual assistance with sighted volunteers via a video call.
There is a simple brilliance about Be My Eyes. It uses existing technology with which people are widely familiar and applies it to a problem that is significant for those that it affects. While the technology may not be innovative in itself, the way in which it is employed certainly is. The result is an app that can not only make a real difference to blind users, but enables altruism and develops understanding among those who are able to see.
The app was conceived by Hans Jørgen Wiberg, who is visually impaired himself. Wiberg presented the idea at a Startup Weekend event in Denmark back in 2012, and a test version of the app is since said to have been positively received by the blind community. The app was launched proper earlier this month.
There are two groups of people who can use the Be My Eyes app, those who are blind and may require sighted assistance at some point, and those who are willing and able to provide assistance. On opening the app, users indicate which group they fall into. It is then possible for blind users to request assistance from the first available sighted user.