How AI Can Be Your Eyes: Using ChatGPT to Read and Summarize Small Text

For anyone living with low vision, reading small print can feel like a constant battle. Labels, instructions, and even bookshelves can suddenly become barriers. But here’s the good news: technology is evolving, and tools like ChatGPT are opening up entirely new ways to navigate the world.

In this post, I’ll share how I’ve personally used ChatGPT to make life easier, along with an example I came across that shows just how powerful AI can be for accessibility.

Turning Labels Into Easy-To-Follow Steps

At my day job in the hardware store, I’m surrounded by tiny labels and instruction sheets. Sometimes, the text is simply too small to read comfortably. Instead of struggling, I’ve learned that I can:

1. Snap a photo of the text using my phone.
2. Upload that photo into ChatGPT.
3. Ask ChatGPT to summarize the instructions or break them into bullet points.

Suddenly, what was once an unreadable blur becomes a clear, step-by-step guide. I don’t have to waste time squinting or asking someone else for help. The phone and AI do the heavy lifting for me.

AI in Action: Finding Books in a Library

This isn’t just limited to labels and packaging. I came across a story on Instagram where someone used ChatGPT in a library. They took a picture of a bookshelf, then asked the AI to identify and locate the book they were looking for.

Think about that for a moment. For someone who’s blind or has very low vision, this kind of assistance can turn a frustrating, overwhelming task into something manageable and independent.

Why This Matters

For those of us with low vision, accessibility has often been about adapting to the limitations of tools provided by others. Magnifiers, screen readers, and dark mode are all great—but they’re just the beginning.

AI introduces a new dimension: it doesn’t just magnify, it interprets.

• It can summarize text instead of just showing it larger.
• It can organize information into steps or categories.
• It can even answer specific questions about what’s in front of you.

This shift is powerful because it means we’re not just coping with limitations—we’re forging new ways of interacting with the world.

A World of Opportunities

The possibilities go far beyond the hardware store or the library. Imagine:

• Using AI to read menus in restaurants.
• Taking a photo of a bus schedule and having it tell you exactly which route you need.
• Snapping a picture of a form and having AI explain which parts you need to fill out.

For people with low vision, this opens up independence in ways that once required constant assistance from others.

Forging Ahead

Here at Forged by JW, my goal is to share tools and techniques that make life more comfortable and more independent. AI isn’t just another gadget—it’s becoming a true partner in accessibility.

If you haven’t tried it yet, experiment with taking a picture of small text and asking ChatGPT to explain it in simple terms. It might just change the way you think about your phone—not just as a device, but as an extra set of eyes.