My name is Dee and I'm a Paratransit Bus Driver. I transport passengers with all types of disabilities to work, doctor's visits, and even to fun activities like the mall or festivals. I am starting this fundraiser to help many of my passengers with visual disabilities to become more independent as this life changing technology will be out of reach for them financially.
About a month ago, I transported one of my passengers who is a person with blindness, and she told me about this awesome technology that was completely life-changing for her. I was so intrigued that I went home, researched, and was blown away by what I found out. That technology is called Meta Glasses made by Ray-Ban. Following that conversation, I spoke to many of my passengers who are persons with blindness and found out some of them (4-5) already had them.
I asked them all how they utilized them. The day I knew I had to create this GoFundMe was when one of my passengers excitedly told me, "Dee, I can read my mail." Another told me he uses them at his job and the glasses will "tell" him that someone is standing at his window waiting for help. Someone else told me she asked the glasses to describe what she was looking at and the glasses described her grandson playing in the yard with a ball. And the person who started it all told me that she uses it to coordinate her outfits which are ALWAYS on point and she can read emails texts etc. and the glasses help her cook.
The keyword I took away from all these interactions is INDEPENDENCE. It was incredibly humbling to hear them get excited for things that I'll be real and say that I take for granted. I take for granted that I can read my mail. All of these people were not necessarily born with blindness. Many of them know what blue is or what a tree looks like and I imagine that when the glasses describe things to them it helps them to be able to visualize their environment and what is happening around them.
Things the glasses can do: Initially when they launched, they were not geared towards persons with blindness and low vision disabilities. Now they come stock with an app called "Be my Eyes" which has volunteers that anyone can sign up to be to help persons with blindness with everyday tasks they need assistance with. I believe these will be a gamechanger and already they are focusing more on the blind community. The technology is only going to get better and be able to help many people do everyday tasks that right now assistance is needed to accomplish.
How Meta Glasses Help with Sight Loss
Visual Information with AI:
Users can ask the glasses to describe what they are looking at, read signs, or identify objects in their environment using the built-in camera and Meta AI.
Reading Text:
The glasses can be used to read text from pages or signs, helping with tasks like checking prices or reading product labels.
Hands-Free Communication:
The integration with services like Be My Eyes allows for hands-free video calls to sighted volunteers who can provide assistance in real-time.
Enhanced Audio Experience:
The glasses function as Bluetooth headphones, providing a hands-free way to listen to music, audiobooks, or receive audio feedback from the AI.
Object & Environment Identification:
The AI can help identify specific objects and provide more detailed information about the surrounding environment, which can be useful for navigation and orientation.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Any amount can help me reach the goal as I currently have 21 people who will not be able to afford this expense. The glasses are 320.+tax a pair. Prayers are also welcome that I will achieve the goal to help as many as I can. Thank you all.
Dee