by Shelly Brisbin
Accessibility Site AppleVis Won’t Disappear After All
AppleVis won’t shut down August 31 as announced earlier this summer. The highly-regarded site, which provides news, community forums and a directory of accessible apps aimed at blind and visually impaired Apple users, has been acquired by Be My Eyes, which plans a September relaunch.
The potential loss of AppleVis saddened the community of blind and visually impaired Apple enthusiasts, who have relied on the site since its founding in 2010 for accessibility-focused coverage of all of Apple’s platforms. A new AppleVis blog post promises full coverage of Apple’s expected fall announcements:
We will reopen the AppleVis website on September 9, 2024—right in time for Apple’s Keynote and fall software releases. We will share all of our traditional content concurrent with the releases of iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia, including an article detailing what’s new for blind and DeafBlind users in iOS 18; podcasts; and blogs detailing new and resolved VoiceOver bugs in both iOS and macOS.
Be My Eyes provides human- and AI-based assistance with visual tasks, via its app. The service is free to users. By giving the app camera access, then calling a volunteer from a worldwide network, a blind or visually impaired user can get help reading text, locating objects, navigating their environment, and more. Be My Eyes also posted a statement about the AppleVis acquisition, quoting CEO Mike Buckley:
“From the first call with the AppleVis team, we not only learned that we shared the same values and mission, but that we also had similar ideas for how to grow AppleVis and make it even more useful in the future. As always, we will listen and learn first, and then continue to build AppleVis with the direct input and leadership of the blind and low-vision community.”
Be My Eyes says it has acquired the AppleVis Web site and brand, and that it will employ two paid staff members to run it. The company says AppleVis will report to Be My Eyes Vice Chairman Bryan Bashin, a former CEO of the highly-regarded San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind. The company promises that AppleVis will be editorially independent from its parent.