InnoSearch AI launches accessible ecommerce portal for blind and low vision users, integrates with Be My Eyes
Launched in March 2024, InnoSearch built an AI-powered shopping portal giving blind and low vision users frictionless access to over 1 billion products across 500,000+ retailers. A strategic alliance with Be My Eyes, announced May 2025, expands the platform's reach to 800,000+ blind and low vision app users.
Background
An estimated 98% of websites have accessibility barriers significant enough to impair or block use by people who are blind or have low vision, according to InnoSearch's own framing (unverified against an independent source). For blind shoppers, mainstream ecommerce sites are frequently unusable due to missing alt text, inaccessible navigation, and design choices that prioritize visual aesthetics over function. Assistive technology solutions existed but typically required expensive in-person support. InnoSearch was founded to address this structural gap.
What Was Implemented
- AI-powered shopping portal purpose-built for blind and low vision users, aggregating access to 500,000+ retailers and 1B+ products
- Generative AI and automation used to create accessible, screen-reader-friendly interfaces over standard retailer catalogs
- Human customer service layer augments AI to handle complex or edge-case queries
- Integration with the Be My Eyes app announced May 2025, bringing accessible shopping to 800,000+ existing Be My Eyes users
- 2% cashback credit for Be My Eyes users making purchases through the app integration
- Initially available in U.S., Canada, U.K., and Australia; grocery/food delivery integration planned for June 2025
Results
As of the May 2025 alliance announcement, no independently published conversion, revenue, or adoption metrics are available. The platform's scale is stated by the company: 1B+ products, 500,000+ retailers. Be My Eyes reports 800,000 users who are blind or have low vision as the potential addressable audience for the integration. The alliance itself represents an expansion of reach, not a reported business outcome.
Lessons
- Accessible UX requires design-from-scratch, not retrofit — adding accessibility layers to existing experiences rarely achieves true inclusion
- Partnerships with established platforms (Be My Eyes, with 800,000+ users) can rapidly scale distribution for accessibility tools without requiring user acquisition from zero
- Generative AI's ability to reformat, describe, and navigate third-party content creates an opportunity to build accessibility layers across commerce at scale
- Cashback incentives and exclusive perks can accelerate adoption within accessibility-focused communities