Supporting people with disabilities: Be My Eyes and phone support now available

15 percent of the world’s population has some form of disability—that’s over 1 billion people. Last January, we introduced a dedicated Disability Support team available to help answer questions about assistive features and functionalities within Google products. Access to a Disability Support team—and specifically, video and phone support—was a popular request we heard from the community.

Now, people with questions on assistive technology and/or accessibility features within Google’s products can utilize the Specialized Help section on the Be My Eyes app or connect directly through phone support with a Google Disability Support specialist, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. PT, in English only.

Be My Eyes is a free app available for both iOS and Android that connects people who are blind and low-vision to nearly two million sighted volunteers in the Be My Eyes community. Through a live connection, a volunteer can assist someone with a task that requires visual assistance, such as checking expiry dates, distinguishing colors, reading instructions or navigating new surroundings. This new partnership comes from a common goal between Be My Eyes and Google to help people with disabilities live more independent lives.

Google’s Disability Support team is composed of strong advocates for inclusion who are eager to work with Googlers to continuously improve and shape Google’s products with user feedback. The team has been working on implementing Be My Eyes and phone support to the community and looks forward to rolling out this support starting today.

Visit the Google Accessibility Help Center to learn more about Google Accessibility and head to g.co/disabilitysupport for steps to use Be My Eyes and more ways to connect with a Disability Support specialist.