“They are just one tool,” says Rabih Dow about his dark glasses, the latest Ray Ban Meta “Wayfarer” technology, which he wears for the vision loss he suffered as a teenager. “Next year, I may be using something different.”
Dow, a vision rehab professional his entire adult life, was recently at Lakeside visiting his former boss, for whom he worked in an organization offering services for people with vision loss.
He is 100 percent blind and usually wears dark glasses to protect his eyes from small branches or corners. The Ray Ban Meta glasses, which he says he’s had for a few months, do not look much different from regular sunglasses, except for a camera lens on the left front and a circle that glows red when it’s taking a photo. The arms of the glasses are a bit heftier because they contain features such as five microphones that pick up voice commands and reduce background noise. (Prescription and other types of lenses can be put in the frames.)
Dow underscored that in the United States, only 10 percent of people who are legally blind (a definition established in 1936) are totally blind like him. Of these, the largest group are seniors suffering progressive conditions, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration.
“There’s a lot of very exciting technology,” he said in a phone call between his touristic excursions while in Chapala (including four concerts in Guadalajara). With the glasses hooked up to his iPhone, he often uses verbal commands to tell the glasses’ AI components, preceded by “Hey Meta,” to “look and read” or “describe what I’m seeing.” He also uses commands that the iPhone alone has long been able to complete, such as call a friend or give a weather report.
He urges people to be cautious when shopping—and more inquisitive in uncovering aids already at hand. “The iPhone isn’t a cheap phone,” he noted. But “it is the most accessible smartphone for any impairment, including blindness. Go into Settings and look at Accessibility.” He notes that even salespeople of iPhones are often not aware of their accessibility features.
Dow explained that one of the best things about the Ray-Ban Meta glasses is the cost, around US$300. “Other technology may be more flamboyant and can cost US$3,000, but may not be effective. People have closets full of stuff. There are a lot of toys out there.”
The Ray Ban Meta glasses were actually not designed for people with vision loss, says news website Mashable. (Dow explained that blind people make up a very small market.) An online video review shows someone using them for making hands-free documentaries. But the glasses’ features caused many to explore using them for accessibility.
“People are attracted to technology with the hope it will help them with print,” Dow said. The Ray Ban Meta glasses read print aloud, but sometimes are unpredictable, giving only poor summaries. People with vision loss may use this feature primarily for packages, street signs and bills but not for blood pressure readings or other critical information.
“This technology is evolving very quickly and getting easier to interact with. But now you have to take it with a grain of salt and use judgement to decide if it’s useful. It’s a bit like having a child as a guide,” Dow explained.
In addition, the glasses are programmed to be politically correct, not describing people’s race or gender, for example, since that is sensitive and not always clear.
“It doesn’t tell me where to put my foot next when I’m walking,” Dow said.
For that, a white cane is most useful. Surprisingly, many with vision loss don’t use canes because of their social stigma. But a cane offers good orientation and mobility, Dow explained. He often uses one when he goes out, and employs his glasses to fill in landmarks, such as street names or subway stations. The glasses can be set up with navigational software that allow you to order them to guide you to visit a friend.
Other very useful apps exist too. Dow mentioned a Norwegian app, called Be My Eyes, that is used all over the world. The app employs millions of volunteers who can be quickly summoned to explain what your camera is picking up. “Maybe a woman has just taken a pregnancy test. She can use Be My Eyes to tell her what they see in a jar. It’s free and there are millions of volunteers. You can be a volunteer. They have a partnership with Meta.”
Dow said that Microsoft has a product called Seeing AI, which can read print and QR codes, and analyze photos of what you’re looking at.
And he recommended the U.S. Library of Congress’s Talking Book Program, a large audio-book program started for the blind, which has branches all over the country. “They have books and periodicals galore, and it’s free. You need to look at the eligibility, reach out to your state, and register. They have reference librarians you can call for information,” including about visual impairments and devices.
Dow noted that, unfortunately, there are few or no services in Mexico for people with vision loss, and the need is huge.
And in the U.S. and Canadian systems, both known as Medicare, all aspects of blindness care are not covered. Some medically necessary treatments, such as glaucoma surgery, may be covered but, at least in the United States, Medicare doesn’t pay for blindness rehab. When Medicare was created in 1965, Dow said, blindness spokespersons opted out of it, saying blind people need education not medical treatment. So services for those with vision loss are funded through other government agencies and nonprofit groups. Now, if your eye doctor recommends Meta glasses, U.S. Medicare won’t pay for them, he said.
Other drawbacks, Dow noted, are that they need recharging every four hours, and you can’t use them while they are charging.
But on balance, he says, he likes the Ray Ban Meta glasses. “I love technology. It’s opened a lot of doors.”
However, he pointed out, “Helen Keller, who lived less than a century ago, didn’t even have access to a dictionary, and look what she could do with just her mind.”