October 1, 2024

Press Contact: press@bemyeyes.com

Phone: +45 42718388

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Accessibility Pioneer Mike Shebanek Joins Be My Eyes as Product and Market Strategist

‍San Francisco, October 1, 2024 - Be My Eyes, the company that connects people who are blind or have low vision with sighted volunteers and companies, through live video and AI, announced today that accessibility industry pioneer Mike Shebanek has joined the company as a Product and Market Strategist, reporting directly to Be My Eyes CTO, Jesper Henriksen.

Mike has previously held a number of senior positions both in product management and accessibility at Apple, Yahoo, Verizon Media, and most recently Meta Platforms, Inc. At Apple, Mike was responsible for introducing the original iMac and eMac product lines, and perhaps most famously, leading the design and launch of Apple's groundbreaking VoiceOver assistive technology for macOS and iOS; technology that continues to set the industry standard for blind and low-vision access for digital devices. In addition to Apple, Mike also led the accessibility programs at Yahoo, Verizon Media, and Meta. He was also instrumental in launching innovative disability inclusion projects such as the award winning Disability Collection, TeachAccess.org, and the XR Access Initiative.

"We are truly excited to have a product visionary like Mike Shebanek joining the Be My Eyes team," said Jesper Henriksen, CTO of Be My Eyes. "Mike’s deep insights into the blind and low-vision community and the accessibility landscape, his technical and marketplace acumen, and his shared commitment to our values will be tremendous assets as we continue to accelerate our growth.”

Shebanek’s initial focus will be twofold; growing the partnership between Be My Eyes and Meta, and helping define future versions of Be My Eyes for Work, the technology suite that helps companies and organizations to provide accessible infrastructure and tools for employees within the workplace.

‍“Be My Eyes is loved and used by more than 700,000 people worldwide who are blind or have low vision, and supported by almost 8 million volunteers. They solve real-world problems, through technology and innovation, yet always remain people-centered” said Shebanek. “The strength, diversity, and input from this fast-growing global community, the commitment of Be My Eyes to always listen, and the ability to consistently deliver innovation, such as ‘Be My AI’, and the recent integration with Ray-Ban Meta glasses, makes for a powerful combination that will continue to make a positive difference in people’s lives. I could not be more excited to join the team in this effort.” 

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‍About Be My Eyes

Launched in 2015, Be My Eyes is a globally recognized and award-winning access technology provider for people who are blind or have low vision. With a global community of 700,000 users, and almost 8 million volunteers, Be My Eyes connects blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers and companies, through live video and AI to tackle inaccessible parts of everyday life, whether at home or at work; all for free to the end user.

Be My Eyes is available in more than 150 countries worldwide and its volunteers speak more than 180 languages.  

To learn more, please visit bemyeyes.com or join us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Threads and TikTok.