Smart glasses face criticism. But what do people with sight loss think?
Meta's Ray-Ban model smart glasses (images: Meta.com)
Smart glasses are attracting criticism for what they can record. An allegation reported by Boston police illustrates the risks of camera-equipped eyewear: in an account published on 18 August 2026, police said witnesses had reported a registered sex offender using camera sunglasses to record children at Boston Common Frog Pond, including a family trying to change their children behind towels. The alleged incident occurred on 14 August; police arrested the suspect on a warrant four days later.
Yet camera-equipped glasses can also give people access to information they would otherwise struggle to read. In a BBC report published on 7 October, Darren Paskell, who is visually impaired and works for Guide Dogs, described using smart glasses to read his post and identify jars in his kitchen. He would like to use them more in public, but worries about restrictions on their use.
His experience brings another consequence of the backlash into view. The BBC reports restrictions at some venues, while the Royal National Institute of Blind People warns that bans could leave people with sight loss feeling less safe and excluded. Guide Dogs is asking businesses and venues to consider AI wearables as a reasonable adjustment.
For Carin Hoorn, director of the Dutch Oogvereniging (Eye Association), an organisation which represents people who are blind or partially sighted, have an eye condition or are deafblind, both uses belong in the debate. The risks warrant safeguards, but the capacity to interpret visual information can also make AI smart glasses useful assistive technology for blind and partially sighted people.
Everyday independence
"We hear that people use the glasses for very practical things in everyday life," says Hoorn. "Think of reading street signs, house numbers, menus, product information and instructions for use. The glasses can also describe what is in front of someone or help recognise a product or object."
The Dutch Eye Association has followed an online user group of people with visual impairments. This wasn't scientific research, and the participants are not representative of all people with visual impairments. However, it does paint a good picture of which smart glasses applications users find interesting, according to Hoorn. "What particularly stands out is that the glasses are mainly used for reading, recognising things and obtaining information about the immediate surroundings. And it is precisely in all sorts of small, everyday tasks that smart glasses can make a difference. Reading a street sign, finding a house number, looking at a menu, knowing which product you are holding or reading what the instructions say."
"When out and about, the glasses can also supplement a cane or guide dog. If a guide dog stops, someone can, for example, ask what is in front of them. That is additional information, not a replacement for orientation itself, because the glasses can make mistakes and sometimes lag behind what you encounter."
"There are also situations in which someone can see remotely through the glasses’ camera. For example, while shopping, a family member or volunteer can help find a product through the glasses."
Smart glasses can support both partially sighted people and people who are completely blind. "Needs vary from person to person. It is important to note, however, that smart glasses are not a replacement for a cane or guide dog. They are a supplement. It is precisely the combination of different aids that can help someone manage more independently."
Interesting in that regard is that a regular smartphone offers almost the exact same software capabilities as smart glasses for visually impaired individuals. In fact, nearly all the core AI features used by smart glasses, such as scene description, text-to-speech, and object recognition, were originally developed as, and remain, smartphone applications. However, while the functionality is nearly identical, the form factor and user experience differ drastically.
"Glasses leave your hands free," Hoorn explains. "You can request information while out and about using your cane or, for example, doing your shopping."
Hoorn emphasises that the technology doesn't work perfectly (yet) for everyone. "Users tell us, for example, that the AI sometimes identifies an object incorrectly or confuses left and right. You need to know when you can trust the information and when you need to check it."
Audio compatibility is another issue. A May 2025 review by Helen Keller National Center specialist Scott Davert documented problems routing Ray-Ban Meta audio to hearing aids and cochlear implant processors on iOS. This supports the concern Hoorn raises about accessibility for people who have both sight and hearing issues.
She also acknowledges the privacy risk; recording and publishing images of identifiable people without their explicit consent generally violates privacy laws. "Clear limits need to be set. At the same time, it is important to consider users’ own privacy, too. Users want to know where images and other data end up, which parties process them and whether data are stored or forwarded."
Privacy and access
The global privacy debate surrounding smart glasses and AI wearables centers on the balance between personal tech convenience and the right to privacy in public and private spaces.
The Dutch Eye Association believes the privacy concerns are justified. "People should not be filmed, recognised or analysed without their knowledge," Hoorn emphasises. "But we must also avoid making an entire technology unavailable to people who use it as an aid. For us, it is therefore important to distinguish between different functions and applications. Glasses that help a user read a menu are different from glasses that someone uses to recognise faces in public spaces. The greater the privacy risk, the stricter the requirements should be. If a particular application cannot be used responsibly, a ban may be appropriate."
She urges manufacturers and providers to take responsibility. "Privacy must be incorporated from the design stage, for example, by collecting as little data as possible, processing data locally where possible, not storing anything by default and clearly informing users about what happens to their data. And importantly, people with visual impairments should not constantly have to justify their need for this technology. Instead of limiting accessibility, the burden of data protection should fall on manufacturers and on operators."
In the Netherlands, parliament has asked for an investigation into a ban on camera-equipped glasses, with exceptions for necessary medical use. "We believe exceptions should also be made to cover the use of smart glasses as an aid for visually impaired individuals," Hoorn comments. "For the people we represent, smart glasses are not a medical treatment but an everyday aid.'"
Editor’s note: The adopted parliamentary motion, proposed on 29 September 2026, asks the government to pursue further restrictions and work with the Dutch Data Protection Authority on legal options, taking necessary medical use into account. It requests those options in the first quarter of 2027. The motion does not itself introduce a new ban or define an exemption for assistive use.
Making the technology more useful
There still are various other barriers to the use of smart glasses for the visually impaired, as Hoorn explains.
"The costs can be considerable, especially if you also need apps or other services. In addition, it is not a given that an aid will be reimbursed through one fixed scheme. That depends, among other things, on the purpose for which someone needs the aid, for example, for healthcare, work, education or participation in society."
The software side is important too, she adds. "Not all functions work equally well in Dutch, and users sometimes encounter problems with apps, connections or other accessibility features. Some users also need guidance to become familiar with the technology’s possibilities and limitations. Availability, affordability, accessibility, support and data protection all play a role."
In terms of improvements, Hoorn believes there are three important points.
"First, the technology needs to become more reliable. People need to be able to trust that the information they receive is as accurate as possible and that it is clear when the AI is uncertain."
"Second, accessibility and privacy must be incorporated from the design stage. Think of good support for Dutch, connections with aids and hearing solutions, clear settings and data processing that protects privacy as much as possible."
"Third, people with visual impairments need to be much more involved in development and testing. Not only when a product is finished, but from the beginning. They can give very specific feedback on which applications really make a difference in everyday life and on where the technology falls short. And I would add one more point: manufacturers should not only ask what is technically possible, but also what people actually need. The technology must fit users’ everyday lives."
Finally, Hoorn emphasises that the functionality that makes a difference for the Eye Association's target group usually comes from small developers who focus specifically on people with visual impairments. Uncertainty about the legality of smart glasses can make these developers hesitant about investing in further improving the technology. "Yet those improvements are precisely what is needed to make the glasses a reliable aid for the blind and the partially sighted."
About Carin Hoorn and the Oogvereniging
Carin Hoorn is director of the Oogvereniging (Eye Association Netherlands), which represents people who are blind or partially sighted, have an eye condition or are deafblind. The organisation provides information, advice and support, and campaigns for better eye care, accessibility and inclusion. For more information, consult their website here.
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