Hadley Presents: A Conversation with the Experts

Episode: Tech Tools for Vision Loss, From Low to High Tech

Host: Ricky Enger
Guest: Sam Seavey, Assistive Technology Specialist & YouTuber (“The Blind Life”)
Release Date: September 11, 2025

Overview

This episode spotlights practical tech tools for people with vision loss, spanning the gamut from straightforward, low-tech devices to the latest high-tech innovations. Host Ricky Enger and guest Sam Seavey delve into solutions for everyday challenges, discuss motivational approaches for tech-wary users, and highlight both classic and cutting-edge products (including the rising impact of AI). Their discussion is practical, empathetic, and peppered with real-world examples, aiming to demystify technology for listeners at any stage of their vision loss journey.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Sam Seavey and His Approach

• [00:24] Sam Seavey shares his background: 12 years creating assistive tech content as “The Blind Life” on YouTube, as well as running a program at a Kentucky nonprofit.
• Focuses on approachable, accessible tools for those newly facing vision loss, especially later in life.
• Quote:

  “Most people probably know me from my YouTube channel ... sharing my life, living with vision loss and with a heavy focus on assistive technology. That’s what I do for a living, and that’s what I love.” —Sam Seavey [00:52]

2. Starting Simple: Low-Tech, High-Impact Tools

• For beginners, Sam recommends straightforward, familiar tech that’s easy to integrate.
• Top picks:
  • Monocular: Handheld, discreet, and versatile for near and distance viewing (e.g., reading menus, watching TV, seeing computer screens).
    • “It’s one of the first tools that you’re introduced to when you start to lose vision and can be very helpful for a wide variety of things.” —Sam Seavey [03:12]
  • Talking Food Thermometer: Essential for safe cooking (especially meat, like chicken) when visual cues are unreliable.
    • “Being able to put the thermometer in there and push a button and have that temperature read out loud … just brings a lot of peace of mind.” —Sam Seavey [05:17]
• Both tools emphasize independence without complicated setup.

3. Learning Technology: Motivation and Approach

• Many users are intimidated by technology; both hosts stress the importance of gradual progress, focusing on practical outcomes rather than learning for its own sake.
• Motivation should come from a tangible benefit (e.g., texting grandkids, deleting emails, making phone calls).
• Sam's teaching approach:
  • Focus on “baby steps”—start with just a few core gestures or features, especially for smartphones.
  • “Let’s focus on the foundational skills, the fundamentals here. These three gestures. That’s 95% of what you’re going to need.” —Sam Seavey [07:58]
  • Mastering basics opens up much wider possibilities later on.

4. Exploring the New and Next: High-Tech Innovations

• Wearables:
  • Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses: Mainstream device popular among the blind and low-vision community ([11:09]).
  • Envision/Solos Smart Glasses: Designed specifically for visually impaired users.
• Navigation Aids:
  • WeWalk Smart Cane (version 2): Noted improvements make it a robust option ([11:39]).
  • Haptic feedback shoes (“a subgroup of Honda”): Prototype navigational device that vibrates to guide users, freeing up hands.
    • “It was very quickly I could pick up … how to interpret it, and it worked really well.” —Sam Seavey [13:10]
• Emphasizes that not all new tech will last—but some, like these devices, are exciting and potentially transformative.

5. Artificial Intelligence: The Game Changer

• Both hosts move to AI, recognizing its omnipresence in modern tech discourse.
• Sam frames AI as a watershed moment for assistive technology—comparable to the invention of Braille or text-to-speech:

  “I think AI will be one of those landmark inventions in assistive technology because it has the potential to help in so many different ways.” —Sam Seavey [14:35]

• Concrete AI usages:
  • Navigation (e.g., identifying a counter in Starbucks)
  • Real-time assistance (“like having a personal assistant with you”)
  • Contextual reading and task support (menu reading, line selection in stores)
  • Experiential description (e.g., AI narrating scenery to a passenger)
• Limitations recognized (“No, it can’t announce dynamic events … at least not yet.” [17:45]), but rapid advancements are expected.

6. Choosing (and Using) the Right Tools

• The best approach is to treat any tech (from low to high) as just another “tool in the toolbox.”
• Some needs (like shopping) may be best addressed with both human help and technology.
• Encouragement to try and find what works for each listener, at their own pace.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Keeping It Simple:
  “They just want to dip their toe in the technology world.” —Ricky Enger [02:31]

• The Power of Motivation:
  “The end goal isn’t to learn the gesture, it’s to do the thing with the gesture. Hey, I can use my phone to actually make phone calls. Imagine that.” —Ricky Enger [08:44]

• On AI’s Future:
  “It’s literally like having a personal assistant with you, a sighted supporter with you at all times, ready to read whatever you want to read, help you find whatever you’re looking for …” —Sam Seavey [15:10]

• On Discovery and Progress:
  “A lot of us start in one place where we don’t love the technology and then suddenly, oh, it could do this, it could do that, and you become the other thing.” —Ricky Enger [19:42]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:24] - Sam’s introduction and background
• [03:12] - Monocular as a beginner tool
• [05:11] - Talking food thermometer and daily living
• [07:58] - Teaching core gestures, learning in baby steps
• [10:22] - The latest in wearables and navigational devices
• [13:22] - Wearable haptic navigation in shoes
• [14:14] - Impact and applications of AI in vision tech
• [17:17] - AI limitations and future outlook
• [20:30] - Highlights from “The Blind Life” YouTube channel

Resources & Further Exploration

• The Blind Life YouTube Channel (demos and reviews of current and emerging assistive tech)
• Hadley Podcast Show Notes (links to mentioned devices)

Closing Note

The episode reinforces that tech for vision loss doesn’t have to be intimidating or all-or-nothing. Small steps, tailored tool selection, and an openness to innovation can lead to greater independence and quality of life for those with visual impairments. Both low-tech classics and evolving AI-powered options have a place, and users are strongly encouraged to experiment and use what best meets their needs—now and in the future.