Veterans with vision loss get AI-powered glasses before Veterans Day

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Just in time for Veterans Day, dozens of area veterans who are blind or visually impaired received a high-tech gift aimed at making their daily lives a little easier — and giving them a greater sense of independence.

AI-powered glasses help veterans with vision loss

What we know:

Tasks that may seem simple, like reading a menu or finding the nearest convenience store, are often taken for granted — but can present challenges for people with vision loss.

Now, AI-powered glasses are helping bridge the gap, making everyday life more accessible.

Meta has teamed up with the Blinded Veterans Association with plans to provide free Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses to 130,000 veterans across the country.

In Rosemont, roughly 50 veterans with visual impairments received that gift on Friday.

There, Meta representatives guided veterans through hands-on training, showing them how to use the glasses for day-to-day tasks. Those tasks include sending emails, using GPS navigation, making phone calls, listening to music and reading.

While camera-equipped smart glasses have raised privacy concerns in recent years, for people with visual impairments, the technology can bolster their sense of freedom.

Finding greater independence

What they're saying:

"Before, if you're in a situation where you're trying to find directions to a certain place, you'd have to pull out your phone, look at your phone, and when you're using the cane, that can become cumbersome. So now, you can do all of that hands-free," said Anthony Woodson, president of the Blinded Veterans Association's Illinois Regional Group.

Woodson, who is a U.S. Army veteran, uses the glasses himself and says they have opened up a world of new possibilities.

"I hope it helps make them realize that the glasses are a big asset, and the possibility is unlimited as to what they're going to be able to do with the glasses. A lot of veterans with low vision and blindness, they kind of become reclusive. These glasses can show them that they can get out and do things they used to do," Woodson said.

One veteran, Woodson added, has even used the glasses to map out a golf course — making a beloved hobby more accessible.

A veteran from Iowa who attended Friday's event told FOX Chicago he didn't realize he'd be going home with a free pair.

"I was surprised, I thought, 'okay, I obviously have to pay for them,' and they said, no, it's a gift for being a veteran," said Mike Wooff, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.

In town for a reunion, Wooff was joined by fellow Marines — who continue to support one another well beyond their time in the military.

"I'm here with guys I served with in the Marine Corps. It's awesome. I mean our bond, our brotherhood is pretty close, so we spend a lot of time together, as much as we can," Wooff said.

How to support

What you can do:

The Blinded Veterans Association was founded by veterans in 1945. To learn more about the organization and how you can support its mission, visit the Blinded Veterans Association website.