Global Accessibility Awareness Day is tomorrow! Thanks for your patience on this new issue of the SEE DIFFERENT today newsletter! We’ll have another one Friday as well to make up for it. When starting new projects like this, no matter how passionate, it’s important to remember priorities, the last couple weeks we’ve been attending to family, mental health, and other obligations.

-@Dil & @James

Meta AI in Ray-Bans Smart Glasses finally gain much anticipated vision feature 🕶️

James here, I've been using the newly updated Meta Ray-Ban glasses, and they’re not just for looks, especially for someone with my visual needs. Priced around $299, these glasses integrate cutting-edge AI capabilities that significantly enhance how I interact with my environment.

Here’s what these AI-enhanced specs offer:

• Multimodal AI: Using the camera, Meta AI can see and process context of your view and answer follow up questions. This includes reading real-world text. Optical Character Recognition (OCR): This feature reads text from the environment in real-time, such as menus and street signs.

• Voice-activated messaging: You can message through Facebook, WhatsApp, and your phone’s text messaging app. This include starting voice calls as well as sharing your view on Facebook video calls.

• Real-time data: Tapping into Bing, Meta AI can provide real-time up-to-date information.

• Practical for Content Creation: The camera shoots a square aspect ratio and can take photos and videos up to 60 seconds. Through the Meta View app, you can enable live-streaming to Instagram to go live from a first-person POV.

While the AI isn't flawless and can occasionally misread data, the overall functionality provides substantial independence. It’s crucial to remember that any tech has its limitations, but the pros here far outweigh the cons.

Beyond the tech specs, what’s truly revolutionary about these Ray-Bans is how they normalize accessibility within everyday fashion and mass market products. Much like how smartphones have integrated accessibility features, these glasses blend seamlessly into daily life while offering significant assistive capabilities. This approach not only democratizes access to assistive technologies but also challenges the traditional market, where niche assistive tech often comes with a high price tag and less polished design. By embedding advanced accessibility features into widely appealing products, Meta is helping to promote the concept of universal design — making tools that assist everyone available to everyone.

These smart glasses are without their faults. Battery life is hit or miss at 4 hours with moderate usage but the charging case provides the glasses with an overall 32 hours from the case. I find myself satisfied overall by the battery performance but the glasses have overheated from time to time after recording numerous videos in succession. This requires them to cool down temporarily. Although I’ve signed up for beta features, I have run into simple connectivity problems which required an app-reinstall to solve the issue.

Even with their few faults, Meta Ray-Bans remain to be an impressive consumer product. They're a significant step towards more inclusive technology. At $299, they're an example of how mainstream products can include features that support diverse needs, transforming everyday challenges into more manageable experiences for a broader audience.

Disney World updates accommodations policy for disabled guests; advocate + content creator, Natasha Caudill, chimes in.

Natasha Caudill, a legally blind TikTok creator, has voiced her dissatisfaction with Disney World's updated Disability Access Service policy. Caudill, who has a rare eye disorder that significantly limits her vision resulting in color blindness too, expressed concerns that the new guidelines have made her feel unwelcome at the park—a place she once considered a haven of joy and accessibility.

• Change in Policy: Disney World has revised its Disability Access Service (DAS), altering how visitors with disabilities can access rides​ (WDW News Today)​.

• Personal Impact: Natasha Caudill reported that these changes have made it difficult for her to enjoy the park as she previously did.

• Community Reaction: Caudill's experience has sparked discussions within the disability community about the inclusiveness of such policy changes.

The changes, set to take effect on May 20, 2024, at Walt Disney World and on June 18, 2024, at Disneyland, include a shift to pre-arrival registration, adjustments to service validity, and limitations on party sizes. Specifically, the service will now require guests to confirm their eligibility through a virtual pre-registration process and is designed to cater primarily to guests with developmental disabilities like autism, who cannot wait in conventional queues​ (Disney Tourist Blog)​​ (MickeyBlog.com)​​ (WDW Magazine)​.

Natasha Caudill's situation highlights a broader issue faced by many in the disabled community when accessibility policies are altered without apparent consideration of their impact. Disney World, known for its commitment to providing an inclusive environment, seems to have taken a step back in this regard, according to Caudill and her supporters. The influencer's story has resonated with many, underscoring the ongoing challenges that people with disabilities encounter in public and recreational spaces.

The discourse around these changes at Disney World serves as a critical reminder of the importance of inclusive policy-making. Advocates and members of the disability community are calling for more thoughtful consideration and engagement with disabled guests to ensure that changes enhance, rather than hinder, accessibility. As this story unfolds, it will hopefully lead to a more inclusive dialogue between major entertainment entities like Disney and the communities they serve, ensuring that the magic of these places remains accessible to all.

What is an Access Pass?

In my latest short-form video, I share how this pass grants myself and guests entry into over 2,000 U.S. Parks and Federal reserves. Watch to see how to qualify and additional perks.

Learn more about the Access Pass on the USGS website here.

Service Dog of the Week!

Meet, Dixie!

Meet Dixie, the exceptional guide dog of seven-plus years to Ross Minor, an accessibility consultant and advocate. Dixie was trained by The Seeing Eye, a guide school that has been around for ninety-five years.

When Dixie isn’t on harness, assisting Ross on his journeys, she enjoys leisurely walks and lively games of fetch. If you want to witness the magical moment of Ross and Dixie meeting for the first time, tap here!

Be sure to follow Ross Minor’s content with occasional appearances with Dixie!

Ross’s website with links!

Stories and content worth a look 👀

• Guide dog, Marli, celebrates her birthday in this IG Reel!

• Global Accessibility Awareness Day (#GAAD) website and resources!

• OpenAI shares a thread on Twitter with a series of videos demoing the latest updates rolling out to ChatGPT with human-like tones and better understanding of context including sarcasm.

• Paul Castle, illustrator and blind content creator shares a recent story of being denied entry into a food establishment because he was accompanied by his Guide Dog.

SEE DIFFERENT Store is live!

If you’d like to support this project and my YouTube channel, please consider checking out the newly launched SEE DIFFERENT Store. Most apparel now offered embroidered designs for a higher quality and tactile feel. A refreshed Dancing Eye mug has be released, along with new polo shirts, and a Dancing Eye Zip-Up hoodie.

Stay tuned and visit the SEE DIFFERENT Store!

If you have any tips or stories you’d like us to feature or discuss, please send them our way via Twitter or Instagram.

SEE DIFFERENT Store

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