Meta Glasses, AI Apps & More: How Real People Are Using Tech to Navigate Vision Loss | PRRF 2026

What tools are actually working for people with visual impairments? In this panel, seven adults living with or parenting children with rare retinal conditions share their honest experiences with assistive technology, AI, and the power of community. Panelists: Wallace Stuckey, Jennifer Zuckerman, Brandon Werner, Donna and Chuck Walls, Marisol Carmona, and Stephanie Brennell. Top tools and takeaways from the panel: iPhone. Consistently named the most essential piece of technology across the panel, thanks to Apple's deep investment in accessibility. Used for everything from navigation to voice notes to zooming in on everyday objects. Meta Glasses. Multiple panelists use Meta glasses for hands-free tasks like reading signs, identifying items, matching outfits, and checking whether a package is at the door. AI powers the object and text recognition that makes this possible. AIRA App. Marisol uses this AI-assisted live vision service to connect with a sighted professional through her phone camera or Meta glasses, hands-free, allowing her to navigate airports from curb to gate while keeping her hands on her cane. Be My Eyes. An AI-powered app that helps users identify objects, read text, and navigate their environment independently. JAWS Screen Reader. Marisol's go-to on her Windows laptop for professional and daily tasks. Navigation and OCR apps. Widely used across the panel for getting around and reading printed text, many now enhanced by AI. On community: Jennifer Zuckerman reflected on growing up without ever connecting with other visually impaired people and how much she wishes she had found this community sooner. Knowing you are not the only one experiencing these things changes everything. On parenting: Donna Walls' advice to parents: relax. "It's all going to work out eventually." Stephanie Brennell echoed that sentiment: "Our children are capable of more than we think. They still have the ability to be successful, find happiness, and find their way in the world." On self-advocacy: Multiple panelists emphasized teaching children to speak up for themselves early as a foundation for independence.