Meta Highlights How AI Smart Glasses Are Empowering Singapore’s Blind and Low Vision Community

Meta recently brought together members of Singapore’s blind and low vision (BLV) community, accessibility organisations, developers and policymakers to demonstrate how its Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta smart glasses are helping people with disabilities navigate daily life with greater independence.

Held at Meta’s Singapore office, the event showcased how the AI-powered wearable devices, developed in partnership with EssilorLuxottica, can assist users with everyday tasks such as reading labels, identifying objects, understanding their surroundings and navigating unfamiliar environments in real time.

The session was opened by Maxine Williams, Vice President of Accessibility and Engagement at Meta, with Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Social and Family Development, Eric Chua, attending as Guest of Honour. More than 100 participants attended a plenary discussion focused on inclusive innovation and the future of accessibility before taking part in hands-on demonstrations of the technology.

The event comes as Meta continues to expand accessibility features for its AI glasses. The company recently announced a new suite of updates, including the developer preview of the Meta Wearables Device Access Toolkit. The toolkit provides developers with resources to create third party applications for Meta’s AI glasses, including solutions designed to support people with disabilities in carrying out everyday activities more independently.

According to Meta, more than one billion people globally live with some form of disability, including around 340 million people who are blind or have low vision. The company sees wearable AI as a way to bridge accessibility gaps by providing users with contextual information while allowing them to remain engaged with the world around them.

Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glasses already offer features such as scene descriptions, live transcription and real-time language translation through a lightweight wearable device. By combining artificial intelligence with familiar eyewear, the glasses function as an intelligent companion that can help users access information quickly and discreetly while staying present in the moment.