Based on the World Health Organization it is estimated that almost 1.3 billion people live with some kind of visual impairment. The connection starts when a blind or visually impaired person requests help through the app, Be My Eyes sends a notification to several volunteers. The app’s job is to match the blind or visually impaired person with a non-visually impaired volunteer based on their language and time zone. The first volunteer to respond to a request is connected to the user and receives live video from the user’s phone’s rear camera. The audio connection allows the user and volunteer to solve the task together. Be My Eyes serves a total of 87,581 blind people by its more than 1,515,629 volunteers around the world, just by making a video call.

This online community is the largest online community for blind and low vision people and one of the largest microvolunteering platforms in the world. Every day, more and more volunteers sign up to lend their eyesight to blind and low vision people, helping them face challenges and solve problems. The app was initially designed to facilitate user tasks, but users report that it has also enhanced their travel experiences. They feel secure knowing that, at any moment during their trip, they can use the app to contact someone for guidance or assistance.

The app has helped a large number of people who are blind or visually impaired to participate not only in day to day activities but also in activities such as travelling. Using the app makes it easy for people who can’t see to catch a train, see the information about the ingredients in a menu, follow directions, see information for the hotel, to know what direction is the correct one… The app gives confidence to the participants for them to catch a flight, a train or a transport to go somewhere and visit that new place.