When 16-year-old Karen Morad from Cairo travelled on a Kenyan safari in June 2026, she experienced the animals and surroundings in a new way — through sound.
Karen, who is blind, used ScribeMe, an AI-powered accessibility app developed by her older brother Mark, who is also blind. The app uses a phone camera or Meta smart glasses to provide real-time audio descriptions of the surrounding environment.
From personal challenge to innovation
Mark began losing his vision in 2018 due to a rare optic nerve condition and was completely blind by late 2021, as was his sister Karen.
While studying, he found that conventional screen readers could not interpret charts, diagrams and equations, leaving him dependent on others. After failing to find suitable assistance from developers, he taught himself coding through online tutorials.
By 2023, he had developed an early prototype that could interpret academic visuals. The project later evolved into ScribeMe.
AI helps users understand surroundings
ScribeMe uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to analyse images captured by a camera and describe them aloud. It can identify objects and animals, describe their surroundings and answer questions about what the camera sees.
During her Kenya trip, Karen used the app through Meta smart glasses, allowing her to receive audio descriptions while keeping her hands free for her cane.
She also uses the technology to locate classrooms, recognise shops, select clothes and study more independently.
Accessibility reaches thousands
ScribeMe is reportedly used by thousands of people across 140 countries and supports around 20 languages, including Arabic. It also offers optical character recognition in more than 50 languages.
The app is available on iPhone and Android, with additional features offered through subscription plans.
For the Morad family, the technology represents more than an app. It reflects how a personal challenge, self-taught skills and assistive AI can create greater independence for people with visual impairments.