Meta is donating 1,000 Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses to four organisations in Singapore that support people with disabilities, alongside a US$30,000 grant for accessibility training. The initiative aims to help people with visual impairments carry out everyday activities, including reading text, identifying objects and understanding their surroundings.
The recipient organisations comprise the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH), Guide Dogs Singapore, the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) and Gardens by the Bay. Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, announced the initiative at an AI glasses accessibility showcase co-hosted by Meta and SDSC, an event attended by Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Social and Family Development, alongside athletes, disability advocates and representatives from participating organisations.
Free training to support everyday accessibility
The US$30,000 grant will support SAVH in developing and delivering a free accessibility training programme for people with visual impairments in Singapore. Designed to provide guidance on operating the devices safely and effectively in daily life, the curriculum will cover how to use the glasses to identify objects, read text and issue voice commands. According to Meta, the glasses can describe objects and surroundings, helping people who are blind or have low vision access information about their environment. While the eyewear also supports music playback, live translation and hands-free calls, the training programme will focus on functions intended to assist with everyday activities.
To help recipients become familiar with the technology and incorporate it into their routines, SAVH will also provide guidance on responsible use. Cheryl Yeo, Head of Rehabilitation Services at SAVH, emphasised the organisation’s role in ensuring the devices are integrated safely and meaningfully into the lives of people with visual impairments.
For Guide Dogs Singapore, another recipient of the glasses, potential applications lie in how people with visual impairments learn to navigate and interact with their surroundings. Damon Goh, Chief Executive Officer of Guide Dogs Singapore Ltd, said the organisation hopes the technology will create additional opportunities for independent living and participation in work, sport and community activities.
Potential applications in sport and visitor accessibility
The donation also extends to disability sport, where SDSC sees opportunities for AI glasses to support athletes in training and daily life. Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, President of SDSC, identified reviewing training activities and improving performance as possible applications, alongside helping athletes become more independent in everyday situations. Beyond these initial areas, the organisation hopes athletes and its wider community will discover additional uses as they become familiar with the technology.
Theresa Goh, Paralympian and National Para Shooter, described how hands-free operation has affected her experience of using the glasses: “Using the glasses hands-free has changed how I capture moments and stay connected through my day. Technology in the right hands has enormous potential for good, especially for the disabled community. We are grateful to Meta for helping our athletes and member organisations gain greater independence in their daily lives.”
At the accessibility showcase, Eric Chua also addressed the role of AI and emerging technologies in improving quality of life for people with disabilities. He emphasised the importance of designing technology with people with disabilities so that it can support fuller participation in everyday activities, outlining a stated goal of a Singapore where inclusion becomes an ordinary part of daily life.
Gardens by the Bay will explore how AI-enabled eyewear could improve accessibility for visitors with different abilities. The attraction already provides sensory tours for people with visual impairments and has piloted a robotic guide dog as part of its efforts to make the Gardens more accessible. Linda Tay, Senior Director of Programming at Gardens by the Bay, said the organisation looks forward to examining how Meta’s AI glasses could complement these existing services, with the exploration focusing on how the technology might create additional ways for visitors with disabilities to experience and enjoy the Gardens.
