'Deaf cyborg' can barely contain joy after trying live caption glasses that transcribe speech in real-time

While the debate over the extent of technology's interference in human life continues, for some, it is the best thing that could happen to them. An example of this is a transformative smart gadget that was created to assist hearing-impaired individuals. A writer and director named Chrissy Marshall—who goes by @chrissymarshall_ on Instagram—tried the live caption reading glasses for the first time and her priceless reaction to it left online viewers equally moved.

In a video that has garnered over 1.4 million views, Marshall can be seen testing Hearview Glasses (@hearview_official) for the first time. She appeared overwhelmed yet excited about the device. As a deaf woman, she had waited for years for such a technology and it had finally become a reality for her. “These glasses can live caption sounds,” said Marshall, who refers to herself as the "deaf cyborg" in her bio.

The heartwarming video begins with Marshall opening the box, nearly in tears as she realizes her long wait is finally over. “I’ve been waiting for years for the technology inside of this box,” a teary-eyed Marshall said. Unboxing the glasses, she showed a message from a promotional receipt inside the box, claiming that the glasses would help the specially-abled to “see the sounds of the world.” “They are Hearview Glasses. These glasses can live-caption sound!” Marshall explained. As she wore the glasses, the gadget asked her to “select language.” Then she showed her viewers the other side of the glasses, which displayed the option she spoke about.

Upon wearing the glasses, the professional writer tried and tested them thoroughly, and yes, “they worked,” she said. “You can see the words I’m saying!” she added while crying happy tears. “As a deaf person, I love keeping up with accessible tech. Now, I can actually see what people are saying via captions in glasses!” the caption of her video read.

“I’ve been anticipating this tech for a long time, especially with the advancement of AI tools; accessing everyday communication has drastically changed,” Marshall added in the caption. She also shared her experience using the wearables for a last-minute meeting the day before. Hailing it as “incredible,” the director wrote, “I used these glasses for a last-minute meeting yesterday and was able to catch 95% of it seemingly accurately.” In the 56-second review, Marshall’s spirit appeared uplifted, though she was clearly experiencing a mix of emotions. People in the comments appreciate the advanced technology. @ambarmarcus praised the glasses and wrote, “It fills me with hope for my child’s future.” @eji_oto remarked, “This is the most wholesome thing I’ve seen all year.”

“This is the type of technology we should be focusing on as a culture. What can we do to make people’s lives better,” @man_dog_openroads said. “This is wild! I would love these for meetings! This will bridge so many language barriers if they eventually translate different spoken languages, too,” @dianaterry added. “With Hearview glasses, the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community can enjoy baseball games with greater accessibility! Whether at the stadium or watching from home, you can follow every moment of the action,” the company claimed in one of its Instagram posts. Several others have also tried and reviewed the Hearview glasses on the social platform.

You can follow Chrissy Marshall (@chrissymarshall_) on Instagram for more tech and lifestyle content.