The ReBokeh mobile app is now available for free at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C. as a pilot program for improving accessibility for vision-impaired people.
The app, created by Baltimore-based assistive tech company ReBokeh, allows moderate- to low-vision users to adjust the appearance of the world around them to fit their specific visual needs. Using the real-time camera feed from a smartphone, the app allows users to overlay customized filers to adjust things like contrast, color hue, zoom, and lighting.
The ReBokeh mobile app doesn’t fully replace a person’s sight with audio or tactile descriptions, but it does empower visually-impaired people — 85% of whom have some usable vision — to engage more fully with their visual surroundings.
Visitors to the Renwick Gallery will have access to the app free of charge, aligning the gallery’s commitment to cost-free access to all. The one caveat is that the app is only available on iOS phones, not users with Android phones. Any iOS user in the Renwick Gallery space, however, can download and use ReBokeh’s premium-tier software for free for the duration of their visit.
“We’re so excited about the opportunity for Renwick visitors to use ReBokeh during this pilot program,” said Rebecca Rosenberg, founder and CEO at ReBokeh. “We hope ReBokeh will open the door to new experiences for vision-impaired individuals – and we encourage you to come to the Renwick and give it a try.”
ReBokeh will continue to work with museums and public spaces to make low vision accessibility the rule, rather than the exception. Other places with similar arrangements offering the mobile app in their spaces include the San Antonio African American Museum; Towson University StarTUp; The Trains at NorthPark in Dallas, Texas; and more.
