Meta donating free AI glasses for every blind U.S. veteran
By Jane Alvarez-Wertz. Read it in Wavy.com
(WAVY) – Meta has announced a donation of Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses for legally blind veterans across the United States. The technology is designed to help recipients identify objects and read text to live more independently.
The Blinded Veterans Association is partnering with Meta to provide training and support resources for the recipients. According to Meta, more than 130,000 American veterans are currently classified as legally blind and will be eligible for the program.
Meta is working with several distribution partners to facilitate the program, including the American Council of the Blind, Homes for Our Troops and the Lighthouse Guild. Other participating organizations include National Industries for the Blind, the Oscar Mike Foundation and Tunnel to Towers.
Participants will receive hands-on training to help them use the glasses for reading documents, identifying objects, and managing tasks using only their voice.
The Blinded Veterans Association developed a training guide specifically for blind and low-vision veterans. The resource covers how to activate voice commands, answer phone calls and navigate daily tasks with greater autonomy. The association will also host monthly live webinars in partnership with TechSoup to provide recipients with troubleshooting support in real time. Veteran organizations seeking to assist their members in the program can apply to participate through TechSoup.
Eligible veterans can request their glasses through the Blinded Veterans Association website at bva.org/glasses.
