Be My Eyes: The App Powering A Global Volunteer Movement For Accessibility

Be My Eyes: the app powering a global volunteer movement for accessibility | Hans Jørgen Wiberg

3M ago 31:27

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When Danish furniture craftsman Hans Jørgen Wiberg launched Be My Eyes, an app connecting blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers, he had no idea it would grow into a global movement. But ten years after its launch, the app now boasts 800,000 blind users and over 8.5 million volunteers, more than the population of his country.

In this episode, Hans, who is blind himself, tells the origin story of the app, how it “spread like wildfire” and Be My Eyes’ partnerships with companies like Microsoft and OpenAI.

The conversation covers:

The diverse and innovative ways people use the Be My Eyes app
Why microvolunteering - helping out for just a few minutes - has become such a powerful force for good
The rapid growth of Be My AI, a new AI-powered feature providing users with quick visual assistance for everyday tasks
The challenges Be My Eyes faces in reaching underserved communities

Missed last week's episode? Inside Adobe’s mission to build more inclusive tech

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About Hans Jørgen Wiberg

Hans Jørgen Wiberg is the founder of Be My Eyes, a groundbreaking app that connects blind and visually impaired individuals with sighted volunteers for real-time assistance via video calls. Born in Denmark and visually impaired himself, Hans created Be My Eyes in to address everyday challenges faced by blind and low-vision people. Under his leadership, the app has grown into a global community with 800,000 users and over 8 million volunteers in 150+ countries.

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Learn more about Be My Eyes : https://www.bemyeyes.com/

Follow Be My Eyes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bemyeyesapp/?hl=en

Follow Hans Jørgen Wiberg on LinkedIn: https://dk.linkedin.com/in/hans-j%C3%B8rgen-wiberg-8a16b915

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