US & CANADA: Hilton has announced an exclusive partnership with Be My Eyes to help guests who are blind or have low vision.
Be My Eyes is a free mobile app that connects blind and low vision users with sighted volunteers and companies through live video and AI.
Be My Eyes will directly connect Hilton guests with a team of dedicated, specially trained English-speaking Hilton Reservations and Customer Care agents.
Hilton teams will help users navigate the hotel, including helping guests identify and adjust the in-room thermostat, operate in-room coffee machines, identify window coverings, or navigate to the hotel’s meeting spaces and amenities such as bars, restaurants, gyms or spas.
Assistance is available across a variety of Hilton’s brands, including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton and Hampton by Hilton, among others.
Launched in 2015, Be My Eyes has a global community of 700,000 users, and nearly 8 million volunteers. Mike Buckley, CEO, Be My Eyes said: “Our mission at Be My Eyes is to break down accessibility barriers in everyday life, and this partnership with Hilton is a significant step along that path, helping travel and hospitality to be much more inclusive.”
Hilton first partnered with the organisation in 2023 to train and improve “Be My AI,” an OpenAI GPT-4 language model that powers the Be My Eyes app, to enhance its ability to recognise objects and navigate the furniture and fixtures found in Hilton brand hotel rooms.
Earlier this year, the partnership was expanded to include the development and training of a specialised team of Hilton Reservations and Customer Care agents who can support Be My Eyes users that may need assistance during their stay.
Hilton has been recognised as a Top Company for People with Disabilities by Fair360, a Leading Disability Employer by the National Organisation on Disability (NOD) and a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion in the US by Disability:IN. Last year Hilton was also recognised as the Best Workplace for Women
Image: Hilton 2024