Barilla Helps Blind Community Make Pasta

Pasta producer Barilla has entered a unique partnership with mobile app Be My Eyes, which provides real-time video assistance to individuals who are blind and visually impaired. 

As Be My Eyes continues to expand its “specialized help” offering, Barilla this summer became the first food company to support the app and its community. A team of Barilla "Pasta Professionals" will field calls from the specialized help section of Be My Eyes' iOS and Android apps to assist visually impaired cooks at home, helping answer questions like how long to cook Barilla bucatini for a carbonara recipe or what Barilla sauce to make a Bolognese with. The pasta experts can answer queries around package labels, basic cooking instructions, product availability and more on weekdays from noon to 4 p.m. CT.

"Access to good, nutritious food and educational resources to create healthy meals is fundamental to who we are," said Laura Birk, vice president of Human Resources, Barilla Americas, in a recent media release. "Barilla is honored to be the first food company to partner with Be My Eyes and join their inspiring efforts to make the world more accessible for blind and low-vision people each and every day."

Barilla joins several other major technology and consumer brands connecting with the blind community through Be My Eyes and its more than 5 million users and a growing family of company partners. Be My Eyes additionally has nearly 5 million volunteers on call at all times to assist those who need an extra pair of eyes at short notice, whether looking for their house keys or quickly reading a phone number.