Meta Donates 1,000 Ray-Ban AI Glasses to Singapore Disability Groups
Meta donated 1,000 Ray-Ban AI glasses to Singapore disability groups and put US$30,000 into accessibility training, announced on 8 October 2026.
Meta has donated 1,000 Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses to four organisations in Singapore that serve people with disabilities, the company announced on 8 October 2026. The recipients are the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH), Guide Dogs Singapore, the Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) and Gardens by the Bay.
The donation was announced by Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, at an AI glasses accessibility showcase co-hosted by Meta and the SDSC. The event’s Guest-of-Honour was Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Law and Ministry of Social and Family Development, with attendees from the disability community and organisations working on digital inclusion.
According to Meta, the glasses help people who are blind or have low vision with everyday tasks such as reading text, identifying objects and describing their surroundings. The company says the devices are already used for listening to music, live translation and hands-free calls.
US$30,000 grant funds accessibility training
Alongside the hardware, Meta is putting US$30,000 into accessibility training. The grant will support SAVH in developing and delivering a free curriculum that teaches people with visual impairment to use the glasses safely and effectively, covering object identification, reading text and voice commands.
Cheryl Yeo, Head of Rehabilitation Services at SAVH, said the support empowers visually impaired clients with greater independence, while the association guides responsible use so the devices are integrated safely into their lives.
Damon Goh, CEO of Guide Dogs Singapore, said AI glasses could change how people with visual impairment learn to navigate and engage with the world, opening up possibilities for independent living, work, sports and community life.
Linda Tay, Senior Director of Programming at Gardens by the Bay, said the gardens are exploring how Meta’s AI-enabled eyewear can build on existing accessibility efforts, including sensory tours for the visually impaired community and a recent pilot of a robotic guide dog.
What the partners said
Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, President of the SDSC, described the partnership as an investment in a future where technology expands possibilities for persons with disabilities, including new ways to review training and enhance performance.
Paralympian and national para shooter Theresa Goh said using the glasses hands-free has changed how she captures moments and stays connected through her day.
Chua said that when designed with persons with disabilities, AI and emerging technologies can improve quality of life and enable fuller participation, adding that the goal is a Singapore where inclusion is ordinary rather than exceptional.
Kaplan said the athletes and advocates he met show what is possible when technology is designed with independence in mind, and that the partnerships put the glasses into the hands of the people who stand to benefit most.
Details of Meta’s accessibility services and the features built into the Ray-Ban Meta glasses are available at meta.com/sg/ai-glasses/accessibility.
Sources
Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.
