App helps visually impaired teens navigate life

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A new app is giving more freedom to the visually impaired and blind.

That independence is especially important for visually impaired teens transitioning into adulthood.

Teens at the Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired & Blind are learning to use an app called Seeing AI. It is a camera app that takes a picture of what's in front of them and gives an audio explanation of what it is.

"It really gives you tremendous independence," Lighthouse’s CEO Sylvia Perez said. "Really enables you to live your daily life with just more freedom."

"Sometimes I just use it when I'm looking up a restaurant as a way of seeing a restaurant menu," Lighthouse student Doug Schalk explained.

The app has many others uses to help teens gain their independence.

"I mostly use it to read my mail," Heather Tuck said. "I use it to read stuff in the pantry and I use it to read certain packages."

The program became available earlier this year.

"They have really revolutionized accessibility for people who are blind," Syliva said.

The Seeing AI app is free to download.