There are countless apps that help us do all sorts of things in our daily lives, but there’s one app that actually helps visually impaired people with what some people don’t have to think twice about.
Not only the be my eyes app making a difference in the daily lives of people with disabilities, it gives sighted people a chance to volunteer in a way that allows them to truly make an impact.
A blind or visually impaired person can connect to the app via video and audio with a sighted person, who can help with tasks as simple as determining the color of a shirt and the expiration date on a gallon of milk , to more important tasks, like taking the temperature of a thermometer or reading someone’s mail.
The app has rave reviews from people in the visually impaired community who use it.
“The help these apps give you as a blind/visually impaired person is much needed and invaluable,” said one visually impaired person. “All you really need is a few minutes to help change/improve someone’s life.”
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“I would say one of the coolest experiences I’ve had was when a guy stayed on the phone with me for almost 45 minutes and I was able to upgrade my iMac’s RAM” , wrote a visually impaired man. “It’s a task that would be extremely difficult without help.”
[MORE: Users share their experience with Be My Eyes app]
With 4.8 out of 5 stars, the app has been a hit with users on both sides. In fact, sighted volunteers seem to benefit so much from loaning a pair of eyes that the ratio of volunteers to blind people is high. To be more specific, in March there were over 390,000 visually impaired people on the app, with over 5.5 million sighted people volunteering.
“I love answering calls because it humbles me…being able to make it easy for them means the world to me,” said one reviewer who wrote about how she helped a man with narrowed vision who volunteered to help the homeless get back on their feet. “I felt like I was part of it at the same time because I was able to help him find the resources he needed so he could give them to those he helps who are homeless. .
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Interested in registering? It’s quick and easy.
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Download the Be My Eyes app and tell it if you are blind/visually impaired or sighted.
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Create a connection via Facebook, Google or your email.
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Read the instructions on how to make or receive a call.
“This app really gives us a sense of what it means to be human, to give back to humanity, selflessly. If more of us were so generously giving a few minutes of our time each month, collectively think what we could accomplish anything else!” said another reviewer.
Have you used this app? Would you? Tell us how the app has helped you in the comments section below.
This article was first published in 2019. It has since been updated.
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