10-year-old deaf girl 'sees' words for the first time with new caption glasses

For 10-year-old Kendyl Pool, a world of spoken words has always been out of reach. Born profoundly deaf due to inner ear malformations, she has relied on American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate since she was just six months old. But on her 10th birthday, Kendyl’s world changed in an instant when she put on a pair of high-tech caption glasses that let her "see" spoken conversations in real time.

Her reaction? Pure amazement. Kendyl's mother, Bri Pool, first discovered the glasses on TikTok and immediately knew they could be life-changing for her daughter. Developed by HearView, the glasses use voice recognition technology to transcribe spoken words and display them onto tiny screens inside the lenses.

A birthday gift that changed everything

Bri surprised Kendyl with them on her birthday, capturing the emotional moment in a now-viral TikTok video. The clip shows Kendyl trying the glasses for the first time as family members speak to her.

"Kendyl had no idea these even existed so when she put them on and I started talking, she was completely shocked," Bri told SWNS. "She was just blown away, she even cried a little bit because she couldn’t believe she could see what I was saying right in front of her."

More than just captions

These groundbreaking glasses do more than help Kendyl follow conversations. They empower her to practice speaking, something she has always struggled with. Because she can't hear herself, she often isn't sure if she’s pronouncing words correctly.

"She can’t hear herself speak, so she uses the glasses to check if she’s pronouncing words right," Bri explained. "She’ll say ‘Mom, Mom, Mom’ and wait to see if it pops up. When it does, she gets so excited."

Her excitement was evident in the TikTok video as she eagerly tested out words and reacted with pure joy when the captions accurately reflected what she said.

Kendyl is the only deaf person in her family, which has sometimes left her feeling isolated. While her family has learned ASL, many people in her everyday life—including teachers, classmates, and doctors—don’t know how to sign.

Now, with the caption glasses, those barriers are breaking down.

Not only can Kendyl participate more freely in conversations, but the glasses store past conversations through the connected app. This means she can review important discussions later, such as instructions from teachers or doctors—something many deaf individuals struggle with.

"This is a huge step for inclusion," Bri said. "These glasses provide full access to conversations in real time, and that is life-changing."

The accuracy of the captions has been a game-changer, too. Unlike the often lagging or incorrect subtitles on TV and digital devices, the glasses provide near-instantaneous, clear text. Bri tested them herself, speaking quickly and using different phrases, and was amazed at their precision.

A viral moment of joy

The TikTok video of Kendyl’s first reaction has garnered thousands of comments from people celebrating this incredible technology. Many were moved to tears, describing how life-changing this innovation could be for the deaf community.

Others, particularly those with deaf family members, were eager to learn where they could purchase the glasses.

The future of accessibility

Kendyl’s story is just one example of how technology is transforming accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Rich DeMuro, a tech journalist, shared a YouTube video demonstrating how the glasses work. His viewers were equally fascinated by the potential of this technology, with some calling it "life-changing" and "exactly what technology should be used for."

While the glasses currently cost around $1,500–$2,000, many hope they will become more affordable as demand increases. Some commenters pointed out that similar augmented reality glasses paired with existing speech-to-text apps could be a budget-friendly alternative.

Regardless of cost, it’s clear that innovations like these are opening doors for people like Kendyl, allowing them to engage with the world in ways they never could before.

Her story illustrates how powerful technology can be when it’s used to empower and uplift.

Want to help make technology more accessible?

If you're inspired by Kendyl’s story, consider supporting organizations that advocate for deaf accessibility and affordable assistive technology. You can also help by spreading awareness of tools like caption glasses so more people can benefit from them.

Technology is evolving—and fortunately it’s creating a more inclusive world for everyone.