Memphis college embraces power of high-tech glasses
Southern College of Optometry faculty member Lindsay Elkins tries on a pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
The stress of navigating an airport is often compounded for people who are blind, but Christina Clift said her AI-powered smart glasses make for a smoother travel experience.
“I travel a lot through airports for volunteer work that I do, and I’m a cane user,” said Clift, interim co-executive director at Disability Connection Mid-South, which connects people with disabilities to resources and support. “It’s challenging to get through the airport with my suitcase in one hand and my cane in the other; having my hands free is a lot easier.”
Clift secured her first pair of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses through Southern College of Optometry. It’s one of the nation’s oldest optometry colleges, founded in 1932, but SCO is focused on getting the latest technology to local people with visual impairments.
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Aisling Mäki
Aisling Mäki covers health care, banking and finance, technology and professions. After launching her career in news two decades ago, she worked in public relations for almost a decade before returning to journalism in 2022.
As a health care reporter, she’s collaborated with The Carter Center, earned awards from the Associated Press and Society of Professional Journalists and won a 2024 Tennessee Press Association first-place prize for her series on discrepancies in Shelby County life expectancy by ZIP code.
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