Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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Passport Photos [United States] (self.Blind)
submitted by dancingpianofairy
If you weren't aware, the US Department of State (folks who issue passports) are EXTREMELY picky about what constitutes an acceptable passport photo. One of their ridiculous requirements is that the citizen be looking at the damn camera. As you may imagine, this can be problematic for some blind people.
I'm sighted, but my wife has been blind since birth due to Leber's Congenital Amaurosis. One of the symptoms is nystagmus, or uncontrollable eye movements. So not only does she not know how to look at a camera, but even if she did, she couldn't anyway. After three rounds of go somewhere to get professional photos taken, pay for the photos, and mail them off (hafta pay for postage, too, ofc) only to a letter back a few weeks later saying it's not acceptable, we gave up for a few years. Plus the pandemic robbed us of our travel opportunity.
Anyway, we recently started trying again and fortunately I think we've got it this time with the help of an **app called PhotoAiD, available on iOS and Android**. You can take it yourself with your smartphone, then they have AI review it, then they have a trained human review it. I did this probably a dozen times, which probably saved me months of time and three figures worth of money. What ultimately ended up doing it was **taking a video (which is 30+ pictures per minute) and just let her eyes dance around for a bit. Then I went back through and exported the frame where her eyes just *happened* to be looking forward**.
Plus, if this app passes the photo and the Department of State fails it, they have a 200% money back guarantee. That means you get your money back times two. Anyway, I hope this helps someone else. I tried to call the department of state and see if we could get a waiver or something, buuuuut the wait to talk to a real live person was 2.5 hours and screw that.
I'm sighted, but my wife has been blind since birth due to Leber's Congenital Amaurosis. One of the symptoms is nystagmus, or uncontrollable eye movements. So not only does she not know how to look at a camera, but even if she did, she couldn't anyway. After three rounds of go somewhere to get professional photos taken, pay for the photos, and mail them off (hafta pay for postage, too, ofc) only to a letter back a few weeks later saying it's not acceptable, we gave up for a few years. Plus the pandemic robbed us of our travel opportunity.
Anyway, we recently started trying again and fortunately I think we've got it this time with the help of an **app called PhotoAiD, available on iOS and Android**. You can take it yourself with your smartphone, then they have AI review it, then they have a trained human review it. I did this probably a dozen times, which probably saved me months of time and three figures worth of money. What ultimately ended up doing it was **taking a video (which is 30+ pictures per minute) and just let her eyes dance around for a bit. Then I went back through and exported the frame where her eyes just *happened* to be looking forward**.
Plus, if this app passes the photo and the Department of State fails it, they have a 200% money back guarantee. That means you get your money back times two. Anyway, I hope this helps someone else. I tried to call the department of state and see if we could get a waiver or something, buuuuut the wait to talk to a real live person was 2.5 hours and screw that.
DrillInstructorJan 2 points 1y ago
I have pictures of me that seem like I'm looking into the camera, but it's all down to my other half moving around until it just seems like that's the case. If you have nystagmus I can imagine that just recording a bunch of video and picking the right picture is probably a good idea. The only issue then is you get the whole you don't look blind thing, but what are you gonna do.
[deleted] 2 points 1y ago
I am totally blind and can’t look in to the camera I let others take my photo for me, but I’ve never had such issues I’ve held a passport several times and it’s been okay.
dancingpianofairy [OP] 2 points 1y ago
But do you have nystagmus?
[deleted] 0 points 1y ago
No but not even sure how to look in to the camera
dancingpianofairy [OP] 2 points 1y ago
You can look forward or towards a sound though, no?
[deleted] 0 points 1y ago
I can face it but I have no control of looking. Which is why I don’t use attention on my phone, been totally blind for 20 years and before that not much to speak of I don’t really know what that means and I don’t have control of my eye muscles.
Bokejtik 1 points 1y ago
I've been blind since birth and got exactly the same condition like your wife. I can't look at the camera and I've never had any isues when taking passport picture. In my country blind people are allowed to wear dark sunglasses if they like when they take passport picture.
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