A woman who lost most of her vision as a teenager is finally regaining her independence with the help of AI glasses, and her excitement is everything.
Charlotte Sterling of Memphis, Tennessee, was just 17 years old when her vision became severely impaired due to a rare genetic condition called Stargardt’s disease. Now, at the age of 64, she told Newsweek that she’s “on a journey to total blindness” and can only distinguish between light and dark and certain objects.
During her fifties, Charlotte was also diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma, meaning her sight was diminished by three unrelated eye diseases. Thankfully, she is supported by her husband and daughter, actress Kat Conner Sterling who starred in Five Nights at Freddy’s and A Week Away. They have remained by Charlotte’s side to guide her and ensure the world is still accessible.
January 2026 marked a milestone moment for Charlotte as she finally picked up the Meta Skyler Gen 2 glasses. They use artificial intelligence to scan and describe whatever Charlotte is holding, read out words and descriptions to her, and describe her surroundings.
“I was excited to think there might finally be something that could give me a slice of independence, rather than constantly relying on friends and family to help me understand what I’m seeing,” Charlotte said.
She continued: “It felt like stepping into a whole new world. Being able to pick up a can of green beans and know what it was on my own was something most people never think about. My daughter took me grocery shopping, and for the first time in decades, I didn’t have to ask what everything was.”
With the AI glasses, Charlotte can recognize everyday items in her home, including mail, seasoning and even food packaging. The glasses even describe clothes and the colors of her outfit, giving her control over her style once more.
Having helped her mom all her life, it’s been remarkable for Kat to see how much joy these glasses have brought. As soon as they became available, Kat knew they would be “a gamechanger” that would make life easier for her mom.
Kat accompanied her mom to collect the glasses and couldn’t resist capturing the special moment. She shared the video on TikTok (@katconnersterling_), including footage from their subsequent trip to the grocery store. Internet users were so delighted for Charlotte and her family, leading to over 1.2 million views and 122,300 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
While many people might take those simple experiences for granted, Kat told Newsweek that it was “a really big deal” for her mom to explore the world independently.
Kat said: “She deserves the basic human right to do these things independently. Most people take it for granted, and being able to give her something that helps her experience the world fully means everything.
“It felt strange not standing right beside her reading everything, but it was such a meaningful and welcome change for both of us. I even left her in an aisle for a few minutes while she browsed on her own, with the glasses reading everything to her.”
Charlotte can speak to the glasses and give commands, such as “tell me what I see.” The glasses are only audible to Charlotte, and they’ve been set up to provide maximum detail. The battery life of the glasses is up to eight hours, with a fully charged case offering an extra 48 hours of battery.
Charlotte is so happy with the freedom the glasses have provided and remains incredibly grateful for the “special journey” this has given her family.
“I would love if the glasses could help me recognize family and friends in the future because it’s embarrassing not being able to recognize who is talking to me,” Charlotte said. “We’re hopeful for continued innovation, improved technology, and greater accessibility for the blind and visually impaired.”
Indeed, Kat hopes the glasses will help her mom feel less limited and reduce how much assistance she needs. Of course, her family will gladly stay by her side, but any autonomy that Charlotte can gain is such a boost for her mental wellbeing.
Kat believes that the years of helping her visually impaired mom taught her “deep empathy for others.” She respects that some people have a different way of life and it doesn’t make them any less. Her mom may move around the world differently, but she still brings so much light and optimism to every interaction.
The online response to the TikTok video has been incredibly supportive. Kat didn’t expect it to generate so much attention, but she’s connected with countless people who feel inspired to try the glasses out for themselves.
“People with disabilities deserve accessibility tools that bring them as close to equality as possible,” Kat told Newsweek. “I really believe the TikTok video made an impact, and that’s incredibly meaningful for us. We plan to keep sharing our experience and using our voices to raise awareness. Any step forward, no matter how small, is better than none.”
Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to [email protected] and they could appear on our site.
Read the full article here
