Have AI read your mail, labels, and travel signs out loud
Two peer advisors quoted by the American Printing House for the Blind use the free Be My AI feature in different ways. One reads mailing addresses, labels, business cards, and her computer screen when her screen reader stops talking. The other used its built-in translation in Europe to make sense of signs and tickets.
What they did
Both take a photo in the Be My Eyes app and the AI describes it. Trina Bassak dictates specific questions about long documents and has used it for holiday cards and decorations. Elizabeth Salmon photographed signs and tickets while traveling and asked the AI to describe and translate them, then asked follow-up questions.
How it went
Bassak says the AI's descriptions are often more detailed than a sighted helper's. Salmon relied on it abroad; on one Slovakian train ticket it read her every rule and warning on the back, which she calls a bit too much, but welcome.
Worth knowing
Be My Eyes is free on iPhone and Android. For private papers, you can set up trusted family members as your volunteers instead of strangers. Don't photograph full account numbers or ID cards. Translations can miss context, so confirm anything important (a medicine label, an official notice) with a person, and try the app at home before a trip since it needs a data connection.
Try it yourself
Copy this into Be My AI (Be My Eyes) (or any AI assistant). Replace the parts in [brackets] with your own details.
(In the Be My Eyes app, tap Be My AI and take a photo, then ask:) Read this envelope out loud. Who is it from, who is it to, and does it look like a bill, a personal letter, or advertising? Is there a due date or phone number on it? Traveling: Translate this sign or ticket into English. First tell me the one thing I most need to know, like the platform, departure time, seat, or deadline. Then give me the rest.
Source: Empish J. Thomas (quoting peer advisors Trina Bassak and Elizabeth Salmon), APH ConnectCenter, Mar 6, 2026. Read the original →
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