This Smart Phone App Lets Sighted People Help Blind People In Real Time

This is one of those ideas that upset me because I didn’t think of it first!

There is an app called “Be My Eyes” that lets blind people connect via video chat with sighted “volunteers” to help with tasks large and small.

It’s very simple! A blind or low-vision person initiates a open call to any of the volunteers that are available at any given time. For instance, a blind person can get help reading the expiration date on a carton of milk. Or, in the case of my buddy Joel, he helped a blind person choose the correct color sport coat for his outfit.

Currently, there are just under 3,000,000 sighted volunteers available to help 160,000 blind users over 150 countries in over 180 languages.

I had no idea, but the app actually launched in January of 2015.

With all the negativity created by technology, this is a great example of how the uber-connected world in which we live can be used for good!