Be My Eyes & Meta Partner To Bring Virtual Volunteers To Smart Glasses

Be My Eyes, a company renowned for connecting blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Meta. This collaboration will integrate Be My Eyes’ popular “Call a Volunteer” feature into the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, enabling hands-free accessibility for blind and low-vision users like never before.

For the first time, users will be able to initiate assistance by simply saying, “Hey Meta, Call a Volunteer on Be My Eyes.” This voice command will connect them with a sighted volunteer through a one-way video and two-way audio call. The volunteer, seeing through the smart glasses’ lens, can provide real-time descriptions to the user via open-ear speakers—whether for tasks like navigating a busy airport, preparing meals, or shopping at the grocery store.

“The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses hands-free form factor makes them uniquely versatile to serve everyone, including the blind and low vision community,” said Freddy Abnousi, Meta’s VP of Health Technology. This is the first offering in a wider development partnership between Be My Eyes and Meta, which aims to deliver new accessibility solutions for people who are blind or have low vision.

This partnership marks a milestone for accessibility technology. “Our collaboration with Meta launches an experience that addresses something that our community of blind and low-vision users has been requesting for a long time: hands-free access to our services,” said Mike Buckley, CEO of Be My Eyes. “The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have enabled that, and with our integration, we have now opened a gateway to unprecedented levels of accessibility.”

With the glasses offering seamless toggling between different views—whether using the glasses’ camera or switching to a smartphone for selfie mode—this collaboration is designed to provide flexibility for users. The partnership also highlights Meta’s commitment to inclusive innovation. “Our approach to inclusive innovation is a guiding principle that shapes how we build and design our products,” said Maxine Williams, Meta’s Chief Diversity Officer.

Join the Discussion on Double Tap

For those eager to learn more about this revolutionary partnership, Be My Eyes CEO Mike Buckley and Chair Bryan Bashin will be joining Steven and Shaun on *Double Tap* on Friday, September 27. Tune in to hear firsthand insights about the collaboration and what it means for the future of assistance.