From reading the expiry date on a carton of milk, to checking for a street address when you’re lost.
The
BeMyEyes app wants to help blind people see, just by the touch of their smartphone.
Developed by a Danish desing team, the app connects blind people with sighted volunteers through a live video feed, where they can read, look and communicate with the visually impaired person and help them quickly solve a sight related problem.
The app works by signing up to the network as either a person who needs help or is sighted. Then simply when a person requires help, your phone will ring. If you’re busy you can reject the call, and another volunteer is called upon for help until a match is found.
BeMyEyes founder Hans Wiberg, who is also visually impaired, said: “The really important thing about this app is the blind person gets the opportunity to get help without ‘asking’, so to speak.
“When you ask your neighbour, you can do that once or twice a day, but if you ask your neighbour three times a day he might get a little reluctant to help you. But with this app you can ask 10 times a day because you are absolutely sure the person who answers is more than willing to help you.”
