It’s that time of the year. With August coming to an end, a new school year begins. Whether you have the anticipation of starting something new, or going back to something familiar, a new school year always brings new beginnings. Getting a good start is important to everyone, but being a blind or low-vision individual, the new school year might bring certain challenges. But no challenge is too big or small for the volunteers and experts in the Be My Eyes Community. Here are ten ways Be My Eyes can be helpful to start off the school year right, whether you’re in school yourself or you have kids in school.‍

1: Shopping for school supplies. Whether you’re starting a new school or not, a new school year equals new school supplies. Take Be My Eyes with you on your back-to-school shopping trip, and the volunteers can help you pick out the right supplies for yourself or your kids.‍

2: Familiarizing yourself with your new campus. Starting a new school can be overwhelming, especially trying to find your way around a big unfamiliar campus. Be My Eyes can help you navigate your new environment, pinpointing the location of the library or your favorite coffee shop, and helping you find your classroom so you’re not late on your first day.‍

3: Adjusting to living out. Starting college or university is for many young people their first experience of living out of their parents’ house. This means many new tasks to learn and adjust to. Whether it’s cooking dinner or doing laundry, the volunteers are there with the tap of a button, so that you can get acquainted with your new living situation and focus on socializing with your new roommates.‍

4: Covering school books. If you have kids in school, you might have to help them covering school books. With a Be My Eyes volunteer by your side, you can make sure that the right books get the right paper cover.‍

5: Setting up your computer. If you use your computer for school, you might need to get it updated and install new programmes for the upcoming school year. If you have a Windows PC or use Microsoft products, the experts at the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk are ready through Be My Eyes to make sure that your computer is all set up for the new school year.‍

6: Reading short texts or articles. Your school should of course supply you with educational materials that are accessible to you. But instead of waiting for an accessible version for a short text or article, why not call a Be My Eyes volunteer to help you read it? Fast and efficient!‍

7: Reading the class schedule. Whether you’re in school yourself or have kids in school, time-management is important. Knowing when classes are is a crucial part, and the Be My Eyes volunteers can help you read out class schedules, so that you’re on top of everything.‍

8: Checking your outfit. It’s important to make a good impression on your first day. The Be My Eyes volunteers can help make sure that everything is on point before you leave the house, from making sure your outfit matches to checking that your top is stain free!‍

9: Packing lunch. Whether you’re packing lunch for yourself or your kids, you want to make sure that you’re not confusing the juice box with the chocolate milk or getting different packed lunches mixed up. The Be My Eyes volunteers are there to make sure that everyone gets what they want for lunch.‍

10: Scoping out the menu at the cafeteria. Maybe you’re not one for packed lunches and prefer to get your grubs from the cafeteria. The Be My Eyes volunteers can help you figure out what’s on the menu, so you don’t miss your favorite dish.

We hope that Be My Eyes can contribute to a smooth start of the new school year for you or your kids. If you want to tell us how you used Be My Eyes to start of the school year right, make sure to send your story our way to mystory@bemyeyes.com. We wish everybody the best of luck with their academic endeavours!