A nonprofit organization that supports people with vision loss has joined forces with Meta to aid blind veterans in endurance sports.
Lighthouse Guild, a blind-led New York City based nonprofit with more than 120 years of service, provides innovative care, technology and community support so that members of the blind and low-vision community can live with independence. Roughly four in 10 adults in the U.S. are at risk for vision loss, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Lighthouse Guild and Meta launched the program in June which allows blind or low-vision veterans to receive free Meta AI glasses and training. Military Families Magazine recently spoke with veterans who were preparing to lineup for the 2026 Army Ten-Miler in Washington, D.C. while using the technology for the first time.
Roosevelt Morring, a 57-year-old veteran who lives in Long Island, New York, served in the active Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve. Toward the end of his service, he experienced vision loss due to diabetes, which ultimately led to his separation from the military. At the time of reporting, he was training for both the Army Ten-Miler (ATM) and the Marine Corps Marathon.
Morring says he was never big into running until “2020 when my diabetes started getting a little more out of control again, and I needed some type of exercise that would help.” His path to endurance races started with a simple goal: run 20 minutes.
“I had some extra weight and I slowly built up [my fitness]; I did a bunch of 5Ks my first year, and then I did a 10K. Then somebody threw out a challenge and that was it,” he said.
Tackling a medical diagnosis ‘one day at a time’
Morring is currently participating in the Armed Forces Series Challenge — a multi-race challenge that includes in-person events representing each branch of service. There is no time limit for when participants must finish all six races, but upon completion they will receive a special medal.
He adds that he is drawn to military races, like the ATM, so that he can share camaraderie with like-minded people.
For others facing a medical diagnosis, Morring encourages them to tackle it “one day at a time” so that they can move forward.
“First thing is, don’t deny what’s going on with your body; you have to accept what it is and choose to improve yourself. It’s not a death sentence. You can still live, and you can still live a happy, healthy life, and move forward,” he said.
Meta’s AI glasses are one tool enabling athletes, like Morring, to overcome different barriers. He experimented with the live technology the morning before our interview, sharing that the glasses help to navigate turns or different obstacles on a racecourse.
‘I still don’t like running, but I like what I get out of it’
Army veteran Rob Sanchas is a retired teacher who lives in Warren, Rhode Island. Serving from 1986 to 1994, he spent nearly eight years working in communications, primarily with wire and radio systems. A training exercise in the late 80s caused injury to his right eye. Though he was able to continue as a soldier, his vision deteriorated over time — leaving him legally blind.
Sanchas, who was accompanied by his “Ambassadog” Kent, admitted that he only “ran because you had to” in the Army — a factor he attributes to the required pace at the time. However, that perspective clearly evolved because the former enlisted soldier has now completed 24 marathons.
Like Morring, his running portfolio began with a 5K and then increased to the half and full marathon distances. He has completed races with the assistance of a guide, which requires “trust, courage and craziness” — though he did describe an experience in Sweden where he grabbed a random guy from a running tour and convinced him to guide him through a half marathon.
“I still don’t like running, but I like what I get out of it,” Sanchas said.
He called the features of the AI glasses “really awesome” because Meta communicated with him about his location the entire time, including pointing out monuments, and it also allowed him to take photos on the move.
Overall, Sanchas described the technology as helping him to have a “stress free” experience so he could enjoy the run.
‘Adaptive sports started my healing process’
Nicknamed “Daredevil Superwoman,” Shawntina Gibson is an adaptive athlete and advocate who served in the Navy and Army. She turned to adaptive sports after progressively losing her vision due to an autoimmune disorder, seeking to rebuild her independence and challenge perceptions of what is possible for people who are blind.
“Adaptive sports started my healing process,” she said. “It just feels good when you’re out there.”
Gibson participates in triathlons, whitewater rafting, cycling, rock climbing, and more, and today serves as the president of the Louisiana/Mississippi regional group of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) — an organization with a nationwide footprint. As an avid cyclist, she says she would “rather be on the bike for 300 miles than running,” but she didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to participate in her first Army Ten-Miler.
“When they asked me to do the race and I said ‘yes,’ … I do it for the people who can’t — but want to,” she said. “That’s the only reason I’m out here.”
At the time of her medical diagnosis, she was a single mom who knew very little about resources for vision-impaired veterans — until she connected with BVA. She says the group helped her find support and connections that older veterans, like her dad, struggled with during the Vietnam era.
“I come from a military family. My dad did 20 years, my sister did 20 years; I’m a disabled veteran, my brother is, so … I seen the heart of it growing up. It was different for the veterans in the 70s; they were not told about resources,” Gibson said. “It was the Vietnam veterans that supported me the most. They said, ‘girl, you can be doing more than what you’re doing.’ That’s the value in it, having that love and that community.”
For others who think adaptive sports are outside of their reach, Gibson said so many organizations exist to help veterans explore different activities. The Meta AI glasses, as one example, allowed her to take her first personal trip as a blind person to Savannah, Georgia. She added that the technology takes photos and recordings, but more exciting was getting to order off a menu without assistance. “They [the AI glasses] read what’s in front of you.”
All blind or low-vision veterans can reach out to veterans@lighthouseguild.org to learn more about receiving free Meta glasses and training. Visit Lighthouse Guild and Blinded Veterans Association online for resources and support.
