Be My Eyes

A Danish furniture craftsman's vision for bridging the gap between the sighted and visually impaired has evolved into one of the world's largest micro-volunteering platforms. By connecting blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers through live video calls, Be My Eyes has created a global network that provides instant visual assistance while maintaining user privacy. This technological solution goes beyond individual support to transform workplaces, helping companies build more inclusive environments for their blind and low-vision employees. As the platform continues to grow and integrate innovative AI technologies, it demonstrates how collaboration between tech entrepreneurs and the accessibility community can create meaningful change for millions of people worldwide.

Founding and Early Development

Hans Jørgen Wiberg, a Danish furniture craftsman who is visually impaired himself, founded Be My Eyes in 2012 while working at The Danish Association of the Blind. The company's development took an innovative turn when Wiberg connected with a team at Startup Weekend Aarhus who were ready to bring his vision to life.

The iOS app launched on January 15, 2015, with over 10,000 users signing up in just 24 hours. This rapid adoption set the stage for exponential growth, as the Be My Eyes team continued to refine and expand the platform's capabilities.

The app's technical foundation relies on live video calls to pair users with volunteers in their local timezone speaking their primary language. This approach ensures quick response times, with calls answered within 30 seconds on average. The service operates 24/7 across 175 countries, supporting users in more than 180 languages.

To better understand how the app works, imagine a world where technology bridges the gap between those who see and those who need to see. When a blind or low-vision user requests help, the app matches them with a sighted volunteer who uses their smartphone's camera to provide real-time visual descriptions. This simple yet powerful solution has evolved to include AI-powered visual assistance through Be My AI, which offers detailed descriptions of images and scenes without requiring a volunteer connection.

The platform's impact extends beyond individual users to drive meaningful change in the workplace. Be My Eyes for Work provides companies with specialized tools to support blind and low-vision employees, including AI-powered software for describing on-screen content and automatic connection to sighted colleagues for assistance. This corporate solution has proven invaluable in improving employee productivity, independence, and job satisfaction while broadening organizational accessibility and diversity.

As the company continues to innovate, partnerships with technology leaders like Meta have expanded its reach through hands-free capabilities on smart glasses. This integration demonstrates Be My Eyes' commitment to making daily life more accessible for people who are blind or have low vision, with the ultimate goal of helping users "see the world together."

How It Works

Users initiate calls through the app's interface, selecting from a list of volunteer languages and timezones. Calls are answered through the app's rear-facing camera, providing real-time visual assistance while maintaining privacy through one-way audio connections. Most calls reach a volunteer within 30 seconds of initiation, with sessions free of charge and unrestricted in duration.

The app offers a comprehensive suite of assistance features, including help with daily tasks like matching colors, checking appliance status, and navigating unfamiliar environments. Users can also leverage AI-powered visual assistance through the platform's Be My AI feature, which provides detailed descriptions of images and scenes without requiring volunteer interaction.

To participate, volunteers must be 17 or older and select their preferred language and timezone. Calls operate on a schedule aligned with local daylight hours, ensuring that sighted volunteers are available during their daytime working period. The app supports multiple languages, with users able to communicate in over 180 different languages through the volunteer network.

The app's development has garnered significant recognition, including Apple Design Awards and Google Play Awards for Best Accessibility Experience. The platform now integrates with smart glasses technology, offering hands-free accessibility through partnerships with companies like Meta. This technological expansion continues to expand the platform's reach, as demonstrated by its growth from 10,000 initial users in 24 hours to serving 700,000 users across 175 countries.

Tech Behind the Scenes

The app's technical foundation builds upon live video calls to efficiently pair users with volunteers who can offer assistance in their local timezone and speaking their primary language. To optimize response times, the platform employs a system where calls are answered through the smartphone's rear-facing camera, allowing for immediate visual access while maintaining user privacy through one-way audio connections.

The app supports an extensive array of everyday assistance tasks, from color-matching and appliance status checking to grocery shopping and reading food expiration dates. Recent technological advancements include the integration of AI-powered visual assistance through Be My AI, enabling detailed image description without requiring volunteer interaction.

Be My Eyes operates on a model of 24/7 availability across 150 countries, supporting users in over 180 languages. The service infrastructure has scaled dramatically since its 2015 launch, with the platform now managing over 6 million volunteer connections daily. Volunteers, who must be at least 17 years old and speaking their assigned language, receive calls during daytime hours between 8 am and 9 pm local time.

The app's development has garnered significant recognition within the accessibility community. In 2018, Be My Eyes won the Google Play Award for Best Accessibility, and it continues to expand its technological capabilities through partnerships with companies like Meta. The recent integration with Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses represents a major advancement in hands-free accessibility, allowing users to initiate volunteer calls entirely by voice command while maintaining their current field of view.

Be My Eyes for Work

The company's Be My Eyes for Work initiative serves blind and low-vision job-seekers by enabling them to apply to join organizations through the app. Newly-hired employees receive their Be My Eyes profile on their first day, ensuring all their questions and needs are met. The tool is used regularly for daily work-related tasks, including downloading new software, health insurance enrollment, and skills training. Employee productivity, job satisfaction, and success improve as a result.

The solution works by allowing companies to build custom profiles on the Be My Eyes app for selected employees in relevant departments. Sighted support employees download the app on their personal computers or mobile devices. When an employee needs assistance, they can request help by simply pressing a button within the app. This instant connectivity enables quick and efficient problem-solving for visual tasks.

Through partnerships with technology leaders like Meta, the platform has expanded its capabilities. The integration with Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses enables hands-free accessibility, allowing users to initiate volunteer calls entirely by voice command while maintaining their current field of view. This innovation represents a significant advancement in hands-free accessibility, demonstrating the company's ongoing commitment to making daily life more manageable for people who are blind or have low vision.

The company's global reach includes over 4 million volunteers across 220,000+ blind and low-vision employees in 175+ countries and 180+ languages. The free service offers unlimited calls and operates 24/7, providing comprehensive support through its network of dedicated volunteers. The platform's impact extends beyond individual users to drive meaningful change in the workplace, helping organizations become more inclusive, accessible, and diverse.

Accessibility and Global Impact

The app's extensive user base spans 175 countries, with assistance available in over 180 languages. This linguistic diversity has made Be My Eyes one of the world's largest micro-volunteering platforms, serving 700,000 users through its network of 7 million volunteers.

The platform's impact extends beyond individual assistance to drive meaningful change in the workplace. Companies can now build custom profiles for blind and low-vision employees within the app, enabling them to receive immediate support for visual tasks. This feature has significantly improved employee productivity, independence, and job satisfaction while promoting broader organizational accessibility and diversity.

As of 2024, the company has achieved several notable milestones, including partnerships with Meta and significant volunteer growth. The platform now operates 24/7 across 150 countries, demonstrating its commitment to global accessibility. Future developments include the integration of Virtual Volunteer powered by OpenAI's GPT-4 and ongoing efforts to enhance volunteer support through AI-powered visual assistance technologies.