Be My Eyes is a free mobile app that connects blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers for visual assistance through a live video call.
Volunteers can answer questions about printed labels, the color of objects, clothing, cooking directions, dropped items, and thermostats, just to name a few.
The app is used around the world in more than 150 countries and in more than 180 languages.
"Since the algorithm is aware of the time zone in which each volunteer resides, a blind user can access the system without worrying about whether it is too early in Baltimore or too late in California," said one user. "Volunteers can be reached anywhere in the world."
Providing this platform for "micro acts of kindness" is a win-win for both the users and the volunteers.
"I don't feel guilty about asking for help because I know this is exactly what the volunteer is expecting to give," said another user.
"Their business model is truly all about service," said one supporter.
Since its launch in 2015, more than 85,000 people have been assisted by more than one million sighted volunteers.
Audio interview with Be My Eyes (play MP3; 12 minutes; English).
Sponsored by the Alfred & Rosalind Perlman Trust. Presented by the National Federation of the Blind.