Saqib Shaikh is the founder of the visual narration and reading app Seeing AI. Saqib lost his sight when he was 7, and was introduced to talking computers when he attended a school for the blind. In this article he shares that he always hoped for “something that could tell you at any moment who and what’s going on around you”. He began working at Microsoft, where he developed the skills and professional network to have backing and the team necessary to build an app with the goal of informing users who have visual impairments or who are blind about their surroundings.
The app is free, and has many functions that can be useful for users who are sighted as well as those who have visual impairments or who are blind. The app explains scenes, with colours and objects, including people in the scene and their general age, gender, and emotions. It can also read pictures of text using optical character recognition, including signs, numbers, and currency. The app also works in 8 languages. So many apps that are within the realm of Assistive Technology (as well as just straight OCR apps!) are prohibitively expensive, so it is wonderful that this app has been made accessible to all users who may benefit from the support it provides.
I think Saqib Shaikh is an excellent role model in the tech industry as he represents a population of people living with disabilities. His contributions to the industry as a blind person provide firsthand input on the needs that are lacking and can be further enhanced in the area of Assistive Technologies. I appreciate the development of AI in the Seeing AI app for the betterment of society, rather than for financial benefit. Sagib is an inspiration to young people who are facing similar physical challenges and demonstrates the endless possibilities that exist for those who have impaired physical conditions.