App Details at a Glance
- 📱 App Name: SightSense AI
- 🎯 Built For: Blind and low vision users
- 🆓 Price: Free
- 🍎 iPhone / iOS: Download on the App Store
- 🌐 Website: sightsense.ai
- 👥 Built By: Peter Zhao and Owen Gregson (Avella Development, Ltd)
- 👥 Community: Just under 1,000 users and actively growing through user feedback
There are moments when you can feel the future tapping you on the shoulder, quietly, persistently, saying, “Pay attention. Something meaningful is happening here.”
I had one of those moments this week.
I had the pleasure of connecting with Peter Zhao, a remarkable young innovator, thanks to an introduction from Foundation Fighting Blindness leader Jill Naughton, thank you, Jill, for making the magic happen. Peter and his business partner, Owen Gregson, are high school seniors who are already doing the kind of work that many seasoned professionals aspire to.
Let that sink in for a second.
High school seniors… building technology with our community, not just for it.
From a Simple Moment to a Powerful Mission
Peter and Owen’s journey started with something beautifully ordinary, a visit to a Burger King. They noticed a blind woman navigating a kiosk with assistance, and instead of walking past, they leaned in. They got curious. They got to work.
What began as a simple idea, an app that could detect and read text, evolved into something far more ambitious:
What if technology could help blind and low vision people understand space, movement, and surroundings in real time?
That question became SightSense.
What Is SightSense?
SightSense is a free iPhone app designed to help blind and low vision users interact with the world more intuitively, through a blend of audio and haptic feedback.
We’re not talking about static descriptions.
We’re talking about living, breathing awareness.
Here’s a taste of what it offers:
- Navigation Mode – Think clock-face directions (“door at 2 o’clock”) to build spatial awareness
- Locate Mode – Like sonar for real life, guiding you toward objects using sound and vibration
- Text Mode – Reads text, labels, and QR codes while helping you position your camera
- Photo & Video Descriptions – Capture a scene and ask follow-up questions to go deeper
And here’s what I love most: this isn’t a “we built it, good luck” situation. This is a community-shaped tool, evolving through real feedback from real users.
They’ve already collaborated with organizations like the California School for the Blind, and the National Federation of the Blind of Texas, listening, learning, iterating.
That’s how you build something that actually matters.
Why This Matters (More Than You Think)
Right now, SightSense has just under 1,000 users.
That’s not a limitation.
That’s an invitation.
Because Peter and Owen’s strategic focus is crystal clear:
Get this app into the hands of as many blind and low vision people as possible, and learn from them.
This is where we come in.
Innovation in accessibility doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens in community. It happens when people show up, try things, break things (gently), and say, “Hey, here’s what works, and here’s what doesn’t.”
That’s how good ideas become great.
That’s how tools become lifelines.
A Personal Note
As someone who has spent a lifetime navigating the world without sight, and a career working to advance disability inclusion, I can tell you this:
The most powerful solutions are not the ones that arrive fully formed.
They are the ones that grow in relationship with the people they serve.
Peter and Owen get that. Deeply.
And honestly? That gives me a whole lot of hope.
Let’s Build This Together
If you are blind or low vision, or if you’re connected to someone who is, this is your moment to be part of something meaningful.
- Download SightSense (it’s free).
- Use it in your daily life.
- Give feedback, what works, what’s confusing, what could be better.
Your voice isn’t just helpful here, it’s essential.
Because this isn’t just about an app.
It’s about shaping the future of accessible technology… together.
Peter and Owen are just getting started. And if we show up for them, if we wrap this effort in community, curiosity, and care, there’s no telling how far this can go.
Let’s not just watch innovation happen.
Let’s be part of it.
” Inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s a strategic advantage. “
Dr. Kirk Adams, Ph.D.
Advocate, Leader and Keynote Speaker on Disability Inclusion & Leadership
Leading the Way to Accessible Innovation
Institute for Sustainable Diversity and Inclusion (ISDI)
Executive Director
Strengthening individual and organizational capability for creating diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces.
Innovative Impact, LLC Consulting
Managing Director
Impactful Workforce Inclusion Starts Here
American Foundation for the Blind
Immediate Past President & CEO
To create a world of no limits for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Connect With Me:
🌍 Website: https://drkirkadams.com
📧 Email: kirkadams@drkirkadams.com
📞 Phone: +1 (206) 660-1363
📃 Dissertation: https://drkirkadams.com/dissertation
🎙️ Podcasts: https://drkirkadams.com/podcasts
🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://drkirkadams.com/podcasts-apple
🎙️ Amazon Music: https://drkirkadams.com/podcasts-amazon
🎙️ Spotify: https://drkirkadams.com/podcasts-spotify
🎙️ iHeart Radio: https://drkirkadams.com/podcasts-iheart-radio
📧 Subscribe: https://drkirkadams.com/subscribe
💬 Facebook: https://drkirkadams.com/facebook
💬 LinkedIn (Individual): https://drkirkadams.com/linkedin
💬 LinkedIn (Company): https://drkirkadams.com/linkedinpage
💬 Mastodon: https://drkirkadams.com/mastodon
✏️ Medium: https://drkirkadams.com/medium
🛜 RSS: https://drkirkadams.com/feed
💬 X (Formerly Twitter): https://drkirkadams.com/x
📽️ YouTube: https://drkirkadams.com/youtube
📍 Address: 140 Lakeside Avenue, Suite A, Seattle, Washington 98122-6538