As an online community, we can make a big difference in the lives of blind people.
Last week the World Braille Day was celebrated on the 4th of January as it has been for the last two years to create awareness of braille as a means of communication for blind and visually impaired people at the same time underscores the human rights.
The braille code is a tactile reading and writing system by which all languages can be read and written. It was developed in France by Louis Braille, who was blinded himself by accident at the age of 3, in the early 19th century but has of course undergone continuous adaptation over the years.
More recently, in the 21st century, there is another man who has taken the blind and visually impaired community by storm; Hans Jørgen Wiberg, Founder of Be My Eyes.
Be My Eyes has its roots in Denmark where it all started in 2012. Hans Jørgen, being visually impaired himself, was at the time working for “The Danish Association of the Blind”. Through his work, he came in daily contact with many blind and people with low-vision, and it didn’t take him long to realize that to completing everyday tasks a little assistance was often needed. When a blind friend told him how he used video calls to ask friends or family for help in situations like that the dots were connected and the idea for Be My Eyes was born.
Be My Eyes is a mobile application that connects people who are blind or visually impaired with one of the over 3 million sighted volunteers available worldwide. One minute of a volunteer’s time can help someone avoid poring expired milk into their morning coffee or choose the right color sweater for that important meeting when they want to look their best.
It’s what the founder calls “micro-volunteering”, an easy way to volunteer without complicating life or having to find time to set aside in an already busy schedule.
“It’s my hope that by helping each other as an online community, Be My Eyes will make a big difference in the everyday lives of blind people all over the world.” Hans Jørgen Wiberg
2019 was an important year for Be My Eyes, the community kept growing and several significant partner deals were closed. In the way Inspiralia best knows how we also contributed to the success as we assisted the company and successfully achieved little over 1 million euros in public funding from the European Commission for the continued development of the business idea.
If you feel intrigued to join the community visit their website for more information as there are ways to collaborate both as a company and as an individual. The application is available for both Android and iOS.
