Even though “no phones at the table” is a common etiquette rule for dining, I often use web applications and smartphone apps when going to restaurants with low vision so I can access menus and other restaurant information independently. This way, I can focus on having more interesting conversations with others instead of listening to someone else read me the entire menu or settling on ordering a “safe” dish or the same thing as someone else to avoid reading, and I can put my phone away after getting the information I need. Here are my favorite tips and strategies for going to restaurants with low vision assistive technology apps and devices, and planning for visual impairment accessibility needs.
Reviewing menus online: Previewing restaurant options
Before going to a restaurant, I find it helpful to review menus online so I can figure out what is being served and if the restaurant will be able to accommodate food allergies or other dietary restrictions. The most accessible online restaurant menus are webpages or Word documents with headings for easy navigation and list text descriptions of each item on the menu; this is much easier to read than a photo/scanned copy of the physical menu, or a PDF that does not have OCR enabled.
If the restaurant menu appears to be out-of-date, another strategy I use is looking up the delivery menu on UberEats or a similar website, though the prices are sometimes different. Some restaurants also post information about specials or other menu items on social media, and I generally find it easier to read text posts or captions of images instead of enlarging images or trying to guess what is in a picture.
Related links
- File Formats For Low Vision and Print Disabilities
- How To Run Effective Web Searches
- How To Add Alt Text On Social Media
Accessibility information for restaurants: Crowdsourced information on restaurant accessibility
Searching for information about the physical accessibility of a space, crowd levels, or noise levels at a particular restaurant? There are several free resources that provide crowdsourced information on restaurant accessibility, which can include whether there is a step-free entrance option, on-site parking, and other details about the space. Examples of apps and websites for restaurant accessibility I have used include:
Google Maps accessibility: Emphasize accessibility info
Google Maps displays information about wheelchair accessibility with the Accessible Places feature, including information about accessible entrances, seating, restrooms, and parking. When available, this information will be listed with a wheelchair icon.
To enable Accessible Places, open the Google Maps app and select Settings > App & display > Emphasize accessibility info
SoundPrint noise levels
SoundPrint measures sound levels in various restaurants and locations and maintains a database with information about venues with quiet or moderate noise levels, ideal for people with hearing loss or sensory processing issues. SoundPrint is available internationally, and also offers curated Quiet Lists for larger cities on their website.
AccessNow accessibility information
Another crowdsourced resource for accessibility information at restaurants and beyond, AccessNow provides options for adding accessibility information for venues and businesses listed on Google Maps. Users can also add accessibility reviews to provide further context.
Related links
- Accessible Maps and Wayfinding Tools For Low Vision
- SoundPrint – Find your quiet place
- AccessNow – Discover accessible restaurants
Accessible restaurant menus for visually impaired: Braille menus, large print menus, digital menus
A growing number of restaurants offer braille menus, large print menus, and accessible kiosks with options for magnification, audio navigation, and high contrast modes. This is more common at chain restaurants, though a growing number of smaller restaurants will also offer braille menus either upon request or will proactively give them to guests that have white canes or guide dogs.
I have been handed a braille menu a few times over the years without asking for it, but I don’t read braille in my day-to-day life due to limited sensitivity in my hands. When this happens, I make sure to thank the person for having a braille menu available and ask if there is a large print menu I can use instead, or another accessible menu. I typically use an online accessible menu that I read on my phone, though I have received a large print menu a few times at a restaurant near my college and at a Red Robin chain restaurant.
Menus4ALL: Accessible restaurant menus online
Menus4ALL is a free service that hosts accessible restaurant menus online that can be read with braille, screen readers, text-to-speech, and large print. Users can submit requests to add accessible restaurant menus to the Menus4ALL service as well.
GoodFoodTalks: Accessible restaurant menus in UK
GoodFoodTalks is a free UK-based service that hosts restaurants menus online in accessible digital formats, and also offers a free mobile app for iOS and Android devices. Users can also customize the font size and enable OpenDyslexic font when using GoodFoodTalks, or navigate the app using a screen reader like VoiceOver or TalkBack.
Related links
Google Lens and Photos app: Recognize text from image
Sometimes, restaurant menus are displayed on boards or signs that are challenging to read with low vision, especially at a distance. When going to restaurants with low vision that do not provide individual menus, I often take a picture or find a picture of the menu and use optical character recognition (OCR) to extract the text from the image.
On my Android phone, I often use the Google Lens app to extract text from images so it can be read with large print or with Select-to-speak (text-to-speech). To use Google Lens, I either upload a photo from my phone gallery or take a picture directly within the Lens app, which will automatically recognize the text from the image so I can listen to it read out loud or use large print.
On an iPhone or iPad, the built-in Photos app can recognize and extract text from screenshots or images with text, which can be helpful for reading restaurant menus with low vision. To extract text from an image, tap the Live Text icon or long-press on text in an image to select the text, and then use Speak Text to listen to content. Alternatively, users can copy and paste the text into another application, which is useful for creating alt text or image descriptions for social media.
Related links
- How I Use Google Lens With Low Vision
- OCR Scanner Apps For Low Vision Students
- How To Write Alt Text And Image Descriptions For Food
- How I Use Google Assistant While Traveling
Visual assistance apps: Read restaurant menus and ask questions
There are several visual assistance apps that can be useful when going to restaurants with low vision, including options that connect users with human visual interpreters and AI-powered options designed for independent access. I really like the Seeing AI app for reading restaurant menus in real time or for uploading photos/screenshots of menus, because I can read the text in large print or listen to it read out loud. With Seeing AI’s image recognition features, I can also ask questions about an image to get specific information, such as “which items have black beans?”
To access human visual interpreters, I have used apps like Be My Eyes and Aira that use one-way video and two-way audio to communicate and ask questions about visual information. I find these services more helpful for locating items, using kiosks, or reading signs when going to restaurants with low vision.
Related links
Video magnifiers/magnifying glass: Read menus with large print or add contrast filters
Instead of replacing visual access with text-to-speech or AI tools, many users prefer to “augment” their vision and access information visually using a magnifying glass or video magnifiers, which increase the size of text or make information easier to read. Pendant magnifiers and pocket magnifying glasses with a backlight can be useful for providing discreet magnification with additional illumination, which is helpful for people who have trouble seeing in low-light environments.
For users that prefer to adjust the magnification power or further improve readability, another option is to use a video magnifier or video magnifier app on a phone, which supports higher levels of magnification compared to a magnifying glass and also provides options for adjusting the brightness/contrast of an image, or applying display filters that can make it easier to read.
Instead of using a specific magnification app, many of my friends and I will also use our phone cameras for quickly and discreetly magnifying content, using the camera zoom to adjust the magnification power. Sometimes we will also take a picture and zoom in with our phone camera/gallery app to read text visually.
Related links
- Magnifying Glasses For Low Vision
- iOS Magnifier and Low Vision Accessibility
- How I Use My Phone As Assistive Technology In Class
Lighting and glare: going to restaurants with low vision
For guests with light sensitivity, it can be helpful to sit away from windows that face the road/parking lot, TVs, or other sources of bright or flashing lights to reduce glare and discomfort. Sometimes, restaurants can also adjust lighting at a particular table; for example, I asked a staff member to turn off a table light directly above our table after I had eye surgery earlier in the day, which helped a lot with decreasing pain from light. I also try to sit away from parties or tables where people might be taking a lot of flash pictures.
To help with managing light sensitivity, I wear non-polarized prescription tinted glasses that make it easier for me to use my vision in bright environments, or I wear polarized sunglasses outside. While neither of these tips are specifically for restaurants, I find it useful when dealing with bright lights. I avoid restaurants and places that have strobe lights or similar flashing lights entirely.
Related links
- Wearing Tinted Glasses for Low Vision
- Lighting And Low Vision
- Environmental Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- Reduce Glare In The Classroom For Low Vision Students
Folded receipt or typoscope: Signature guide for receipts
An easy strategy to use when signing a receipt when going to restaurants with low vision is to have someone fold the receipt underneath the signature line, which can serve as a tactile line guide. Another option is to use a typoscope or signature guide, a credit card-sized line guide that can be used to make it easier to sign receipts with low vision or fill out forms.
Accessible kiosks and self-service devices at restaurants
Ordering kiosks and touchscreen devices are becoming more common in restaurants and dining locations, especially when it comes to point-of-sale devices used at checkout. Some of these devices have an audio jack that supports connecting headphones for audio access, or a high contrast display mode that also supports large print, though many people with visual impairments find it challenging to use these types of devices independently.
Personally, I use my phone to enlarge the text on kiosks, holding my phone over the screen and zooming in to enlarge content. I have also used visual assistance apps like Seeing AI, Google Lookout, and similar to read text labels in real time. Sometimes, staff members will assist with the kiosks or I will ask a friend or family member for assistance as well.
Related links
Allergy cards: Going to restaurants with low vision and food allergies
For people with food allergies or intolerances, a “chef card” or food allergy card can be used to communicate food allergies for restaurant staff and minimizing the risk of cross-contact or miscommunications. Some people create business cards that contain a list of ingredients to avoid, though there are also allergy card templates available from food allergy organizations like FARE in multiple languages, as well as companies like EqualEats that offer physical and digital allergy cards. It is also helpful to call the restaurant in advance when possible to determine if a safe meal option is available.
My personal experience with food allergies and restaurants
In full transparency, I don’t have a ton of tips for going to restaurants with low vision and food allergies because I was diagnosed as an adult with multiple highly sensitive food allergies to common ingredients, which makes eating in restaurants impossible, or extremely difficult.
I have had restaurants refuse service to me or tell me not to come to their restaurant after I would ask in advance about whether they could accommodate these food allergies, or panic when I would show up with a white cane and a list of allergies and suggest that I go somewhere else (which is fine with me, I don’t want to have an allergic reaction). I’ve also had a couple of restaurants identify safe items I can have, and take steps to minimize cross-contact.
Learning to call in advance or research restaurant menus has helped me avoid having to leave a restaurant shortly after arriving, and I have also just learned to eat before I go somewhere or to pack food for later. Given the life-threatening nature of food allergies and the fact I can’t see if someone really changed their gloves or used a separate serving utensil, I personally don’t feel safe eating at restaurants, but it’s still important to practice self-advocacy and self-determination skills related to disclosing allergies and talking about food safety.
Related links
- Food Allergy chef cards | FARE
- Equal Eats food allergen cards
- Learning to Self-Advocate With Low Vision
More tips for going to restaurants with low vision assistive technology
- Searching for tips on eating with a visual impairment? Check out this post from Wisconsin Council of the Blind and Visually Impaired: Dine Confidently: Tips For Eating With A Visual Impairment
- At restaurants, my cane stays folded either behind me in a seat or next to me in a booth. Learn more about storing canes when not in use at Twelve Blindness Cane Storage Solutions
- Interested in strategies for navigating a college dining hall? Read Navigating The Dining Hall: College O&M
- While school cafeterias aren’t technically restaurants, they can present unique challenges for visually impaired students. Read more in School Cafeterias and Low Vision
- This post on going to restaurants with low vision and using assistive technology in restaurants covers several components of the Expanded Core Curriculum for visual impairment (ECC), including independent living skills, assistive technology, self determination, and sensory efficiency. Check out more posts that align with the ECC at Post Categories | Veroniiiica
Published March 29, 2017. Updated February 2026