Legally blind veterans receive Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses at WWII Museum - fox8live.com

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - About 20 legally blind veterans received Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses Sunday at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, part of a broader effort by Meta and the Blinded Veterans Association to distribute the technology to blind veterans across the country.

Meta partnered with the Blinded Veterans Association to bring the glasses to veterans from Louisiana, Mississippi and other states. Katie Watson Jordan, Meta’s product strategy and governance policy manager, said the scale of the need shaped the company’s approach.

“We had the opportunity to do something large-scale, and we recognized that there are 130,000 blind veterans in the U.S. and that felt like an attainable number — that was something we could really grasp onto and we could really make a difference there,” Watson Jordan said.

The glasses use small cameras and speakers built into the frame. They can read mail, execute smartphone commands, describe pictures and people, and direct the wearer to locations such as a restaurant or airport terminal. Trainers were on hand to help veterans and their families learn to use the devices.

Domonique Lawless, national program director for the Blinded Veterans Association, said veterans at Sunday’s event were trained on commands before touring the museum.

“We have a lot of veterans from Louisiana, Mississippi and some actually a lot further than that who are coming to receive a pair of glasses, who are getting trained on some of the commands and then have an opportunity to go around the museum and get some of that visual description that they might not otherwise have access to,” Lawless said.

Watson Jordan said a World War II veteran told her the glasses changed how he connects with family.

“I heard from a WWII veteran a few weeks ago actually who was so excited to get the glasses because he just wanted to be able to call his kids more easily. And now he can do that using his glasses without having to mess with his phone,” she said.

Lawless said the technology gives veterans a greater sense of independence.

“It’s another great resource to give you that control, to give you back that access without having to rely on your sighted friends and loved ones,” Lawless said.

Meta said it still has AI glasses available for eligible veterans. For more information, click here.

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