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More than one billion people around the world live with some form of disability, and we\u2019ve seen how our wearable AI is making a real difference for many of them \u2014 from enabling people who are blind to describe their surroundings to giving veterans with memory loss more confidence in daily routines. Today, ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we\u2019re sharing how we\u2019re building on that impact.<\/span><\/p>\n Donald Overton, a US Army veteran who lost his sight from a blast in Iraq while serving with the 82nd Airborne Division, uses his Meta AI glasses, developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, to navigate airports, read menus, and move through his day without the backpack full of assistive devices he used to carry.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI can now go out to dinner with my wife and have a normal date night. I\u2019m able to use the technology to read the menu to me, \u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n Noah Currier, a Marine Corps veteran<\/span><\/a> with quadriplegia and founder of the Oscar Mike Foundation, uses Ray-Ban Meta glasses to capture photos and videos entirely by voice \u2014 something he says is \u201cchanging the game\u201d for physically disabled people.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a quadriplegic, so my hands don\u2019t work. I probably have fewer photos and videos in my phone than anybody else in the world,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing able to take them hands-free was incredible. The very first thing I did was take a picture of my baby when I got home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Stories like these are what drive us to keep expanding what our AI glasses can do, including our latest features.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019re rolling out new features on our AI glasses that give people more ways to navigate their day without needing to reach for their phone or tap on their frames.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Group calling and Service Directory with Be My Eyes<\/b>: Building on our partnership with <\/span>Be My Eyes<\/span><\/a>, people who are blind or have low vision can now say \u201cHey Meta, Be My Eyes with [name]\u201d to start a hands-free video call with a trusted friend or family member \u2014 rather than connecting with a sighted volunteer. You can also connect with specially trained support representatives from global brands like Tesco, Sony, Amtrak, and Hilton, who are equipped to provide visual descriptions and hands-on assistance with tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n Voice controls during calls<\/b>: Soon you\u2019ll be able to manage calls on WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Be My Eyes entirely by voice \u2014 muting, unmuting, turning your video on or off, or hanging up \u2014 all without touching your glasses or phone. For people with limited hand mobility, it means fewer barriers to staying connected.<\/span><\/p>\n One-touch shortcuts: <\/b>You can now customize the action button on <\/span>Ray-Ban Meta Optics styles<\/span><\/a> or Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses for instant access to the features you use most \u2014 whether that\u2019s connecting to a Be My Eyes volunteer or asking a Meta AI prompt like \u201cdescribe what\u2019s around me.\u201d A single press replaces multi-step voice commands, putting AI a fingertip away.<\/span><\/p>\n Captioned calls:<\/b> We recently introduced real-time captions during phone, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram Direct voice calls on Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses that show what the other person is saying right on your in-lens display. Don\u2019t miss a word and stay hands-free, even on a busy street or in a loud caf\u00e9 \u2014 making calls more accessible wherever you are.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019re already seeing incredible creativity from developers using the <\/span>Meta Wearables Device Access Toolkit<\/span><\/a> (DAT), and we can\u2019t wait to see what they build next to make our AI glasses even more useful for everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n Our DAT gives developers a way to extend their mobile apps onto our AI glasses \u2014 and some of the first experiences are designed to help people with disabilities navigate daily life with more independence.<\/span><\/p>\n Through a three-year partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, we\u2019re exploring how electromyography (EMG) \u2014 the technology behind Meta Ray-Ban Display\u2019s accompanying Meta Neural Band \u2014 can give people with spinal cord injuries new ways to interact with digital devices. The neural band detects subtle muscle signals in the forearm, even in people who have been paralyzed for many years,\u00a0and translates them into actions like clicking, scrolling, or even steering in a video game.<\/span><\/p>\n In the video below, a participant named Cass with a spinal cord injury competes in a multiplayer racing game against a player using a standard controller \u2014 steering and boosting entirely through hand gestures captured by two Meta Neural Bands.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019re looking forward to hosting an event on Global Accessibility Awareness Day \u2014 May 21, 2026 \u2014 at Meta Lab NYC in partnership with <\/span>Lighthouse Guild<\/span><\/a>, a blind-led nonprofit with more than 120 years of service to the blind and low vision community, and <\/span>Achilles International<\/span><\/a>, the leading nonprofit that empowers athletes with disabilities through inclusive athletic experiences. People in the blind and low-vision community can experience our Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses firsthand through a Bike Club, showing how our wearable technology can unlock new possibilities in everyday athletic experiences. <\/span>In March<\/span><\/a>, Lighthouse Guild CEO Thomas Panek, who is blind, completed the New York City Half Marathon with the help of Oakley Meta Vanguard glasses.<\/span><\/p>\n We\u2019re committed to building technology that\u2019s accessible to everyone from the start. These updates are one step in that work, and we\u2019re excited to share more as we continue to expand what\u2019s possible for people with disabilities. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nMore Ways to Stay Connected<\/h2>\n
Third-Party Apps Built for Our AI Glasses<\/h2>\n
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Turning Muscle Signals Into Independent Control<\/h2>\n
Accessibility in Action<\/h2>\n