Smart glasses read aloud, but AI also threatens jobs for blind, Thuringia association warns

Assistive AI in sight

Smart glasses that recognise text and read it aloud, smartphone apps for navigation and object recognition – these AI-driven tools are reshaping daily life for blind and visually impaired people, according to Joachim Leibiger, chair of the Blinden- und Sehbehindertenverband Thüringen.

Assistance systems like smart glasses that can recognise and process information and texts are helpful.

The technology is built into the temples of the glasses and usually works in tandem with a smartphone. For older users – more than half of the association’s roughly 900 members are over 60, and 200 are over 80 – the setup can be daunting, so the district organisations plan to offer introductory courses.

Barriers and missing recognition

Despite the promise, digital aids face a significant hurdle: they are not officially recognised as medical devices in Germany.

Digital assistance systems are generally not recognised as medical aids. As a result, statutory health insurers do not cover any of the costs for blind and visually impaired people.

This leaves many people to bear the expense themselves, slowing adoption.

Jobs and bias at risk

The association also flags risks that accompany the spread of AI. Roles traditionally held by blind workers – telephone operators, for instance – are being automated away. Leibiger warns that AI could replicate existing societal prejudices against blind people and amplify discrimination. Today’s conference in Weimar is meant to weigh these trade-offs openly.

The Thuringian context

Around 3,100 people in Thuringia are officially registered as blind or visually impaired. They receive a monthly blindness allowance of 472 euros as compensation for disadvantage. The association’s advocacy comes as AI becomes more embedded in everyday life, with the twin goals of expanding access and preventing new forms of exclusion.