Washington, D.C
‘Hey, Meta. What’s in front of me?’ How AI glasses are changing a blind DC woman’s life
AI glasses let users take videos, stream music and capture everyday moments. For people who are blind and visually impaired, they can be a lifeline.
A native Washingtonian declared legally blind at birth showed News4 how the glasses are changing her life.
Chrichelle Brown is fiercely independent. She rides Metro, takes the bus and shops for groceries. On her own, she can see people and objects but not details. Using AI glasses, she has access to a lot more.
Originally designed for streaming and capturing video, members of the blind community quickly discovered another use. With a simple voice command, the glasses’ built-in camera, microphone and speakers let users talk with an AI assistant that can identify objects, read text and describe surroundings.
“It changes a lot. I’m even able to get descriptions. As I mentioned, I don’t see detail, so being able to ask, ‘Hey Meta, what’s in front of me?’ —it can give me extreme detail, up to what someone’s design is on their shirt,” Brown explained.
Without the glasses, she could see a News4 reporter’s shadow. With them, she knew she was wearing a white sweater and light-colored pants and has blonde hair and light eyes.
Brown teaches others how to use AI glasses at Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind in Silver Spring. Her three-day monthly seminar is free to the community.
On the day News4 met with her, she invited us along as she and a student, Rose, headed to Starbucks. Brown showed Rose how to ask Meta to read the menu. The glasses instantly described the options out loud. It was a small moment that symbolized something much bigger: independence as she often had to rely on others for help.
The glasses connect to a free app called Be My Eyes, which recently partnered with Meta. It links users to millions of volunteers around the world who can see what they can’t, providing real-time, audible feedback.
“I use them for a lot of things. I use them to sometimes help me pick out certain clothes if I think I want them to match a certain way,” Brown said. “If I’m at the store and they can’t find a representative, I will use Be My Eyes to get a volunteer to help me find the specific items at a grocery store.”
She said she’s careful not to rely on AI alone.
“Hey, Meta: How many steps?” Rose asked Brown. “What if this thing tells me there are no steps but there is steps?”
Brown told her to hold on to the railing.
“I always tell people that, you know, when I’m teaching a class, that these glasses are meant to enhance your independence but not replace the services and the knowledge that you have gained from taking the other classes,” she said.
Meta said its goal is to make the glasses more accessible. As the technology improves, advocates hope they’ll continue breaking barriers for people who are blind or visually impaired.
Sign up for our free deep-dive newsletter, The 4Front, to get standout News4 stories sent right to your inbox. Subscribe here.
Washington, D.C
DHS directs flights to US from Ebola affected countries to Dulles International Airport
DHS directs flights from Ebola affected countries to Dulles
The Secretary of Homeland Security is ordering all U.S.-bound flights carrying travelers who were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the past 21 days to land only at Washington–Dulles International Airport following the discovery of a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak.
DULLES, Va. – The Secretary of Homeland Security is ordering all U.S.-bound flights carrying travelers who were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda or South Sudan within the past 21 days to land only at Washington–Dulles International Airport following the discovery of a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak.
The rule applies to flights departing after 11:59 p.m. on May 20, 2026, and remains in effect until canceled.
American doctor tests positive in Ebola outbreak that spurred global health emergency
Measures include screening, temperature checks, and contact tracing if needed.
DHS directs flights from Ebola affected countries to Dulles
The Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus was confirmed in northeastern DRC on May 15.
According to an Associated Press report on Thursday, 51 cases have been confirmed in Congo’s northern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, and two cases in Uganda, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday. There are 139 suspected deaths and almost 600 suspected cases.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Department of Homeland Security, the Associated Press and previous FOX 5 reporting.
Content on this page may include affiliate links. If you click and sign up/place a wager, we may receive compensation at no cost to you.
Should lawmakers in the nation’s capital decide to push forward with legalizing real money online casinos, it could cause a ripple effect in the DMV.
The wave of potentially legalizing online casinos has reached our nation’s capital, as lawmakers in Washington, D.C., are considering a Council Bill to authorize regulated iGaming. While time will tell if the proposal makes any headway, should it cross the finish line, or even come close, it could play a role in neighboring states to follow suit – particularly Maryland and Virginia.
Recapping bill proposal to legalize D.C. online casinos
As proposed by Councilmember Wendell Felder, Council Bill 260656 – also known as the Internet Gaming and Consumer Protection Act of 2026″ – aims to legalize online casinos as a “practical” way to strengthen protections for consumers, who, according to Felder, are already gambling with unregulated platforms.
By authorizing real money online casino apps in the District, officials would be able to offer a safer avenue for online gambling while also keeping revenue from flowing outside of the area.
According to Felder, initial annual tax revenue generated by new online casinos could reach tens of millions of dollars, which the District could use to support behavioral health services, responsible gaming programs and broader community investments.
A public hearing for the proposal is scheduled for May 4. But if the bill gains traction, it could have a more widespread impact beyond Washington, D.C.
Virginia, Maryland could feel pressure to regulate iGaming
Should legislators continue to push Council Bill 260656 forward, neighboring states could feel the pressure to revamp efforts to legalize casino games online. That is especially true for Maryland and Virginia, which see a number of residents commute to D.C. on a daily basis.
Both jurisdictions are no strangers to considering online casino legalization. Earlier this year, Virginia saw a bill fall short of passage, though it’s likely lawmakers will resume conversations in 2027.
Meanwhile, in Maryland, there was much support from casino operators in the state to regulate online casinos, though no bills made it out of committee.
Should Washington, D.C., succeed in legalizing online casino gaming, or even games like online keno for real money, it would assuredly create more urgency for Virginia and Maryland to do the same. Like D.C., both states offer legal online sports betting, and all three jurisdictions have big-name brands such as BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, Fanatics and FanDuel. Then, residents could take advantage of the latest DraftKings Casino promo code.
In the nation’s capital, the iGaming proposal would give licensed sportsbooks an expedited review and approval for an online casino license. That means if D.C. approves Council Bill 260656, those online sportsbooks would be cleared to apply for and receive online casino licenses, creating an advantage for the District over its two neighbors.
-
Indiana55 seconds ago
Bears reiterate Chicago stadium options are ‘exhausted,’ focused on suburban Illinois and Indiana
-
Iowa7 minutes agoDozens of Iowa lawmakers ask federal regulators to reject transmission competition pause
-
Kansas13 minutes agoFormer Kansas City PTA treasurer facing up to 30 years in prison for bank and wire fraud
-
Kentucky19 minutes agoKSP investigating fatal collision in Eastern Kentucky
-
Louisiana25 minutes agoI-10 crash in Baldwin County results in one fatality | WKRG.com
-
Maine31 minutes agoHundreds of law enforcement officers travel to Bangor to honor fallen Maine Game Warden
-
Maryland37 minutes agoMaryland SHA to assess Fallston intersection where teen died in dirt bike crash
-
Michigan43 minutes agoPolitical expert weighs in on Mike Duggan’s withdrawal from Michigan gubernatorial race
