Low vision guests will have the power to visually engage with the Zoo’s 1,500 animals, moving beyond sight-replacing options to true visual immersion.
BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland Zoo is launching an accessibility partnership with Baltimore-based ReBokeh Vision Technologies to offer free access to ReBokeh’s empowerment-driven assistive technology software for people with low vision. The partnership provides all guests and staff with free, automatic, and unlimited access to ReBokeh, a mobile-app based assistive tech software which helps people with low vision to adjust the appearance of the world around them in order to fit their specific needs.
Celebrating 150 years in 2026, the Maryland Zoo acts as a bridge between guests and the natural world, housing a diverse community of over 1,500 animals across 130 species. Easily accessible in Baltimore’s historic Druid Hill Park, the Zoo’s mission is to “inspire and educate people to join with it in the active support and conservation of wildlife and wild places.” The Zoo maintains five distinct areas across its 135-acre property: Northern Passage, Maryland Wilderness, African Journey, and Penguin Coast, which is home to more than 90 African penguins and maintains the largest and most successful African penguin breeding colony in North America, and Main Valley where a new red panda habitat opened this June.
This partnership expands on the Zoo’s accessibility offerings, empowering the 90% of low vision individuals who retain functional vision to fully engage with the birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles that call the Zoo home.
“Maryland Zoo is a place that engages people with all backgrounds and abilities. ReBokeh’s tools will open up the wonders of the living world to our guests like never before,” said Zoo President & CEO, Kirby Fowler.
By prioritizing empowerment over mere accommodation, ReBokeh creates a more inclusive experience for visitors. While many people with low vision find sight-replacing tools – like audio or tactile alternatives – insufficient, ReBokeh allows them to use their functional vision for a more immersive and enjoyable experience. Furthermore, it offers all visitors, regardless of visual ability, the freedom to customize and enhance their viewing experience in creative ways.
Throughout the Zoo, visitors can utilize ReBokeh to visually connect with the animals, read exhibit plaques with ease, and independently navigate menus at the Oasis Cafe or Whistle Stop Grille – unlocking a world of seamless interaction.
“Interacting with nature is a profoundly visual experience, so we couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Maryland Zoo to make their space more accessible for individuals with low vision.” said Rebecca Rosenberg, the low vision founder and CEO of ReBokeh. “It’s about more than just navigation. It’s about ensuring that the beauty of an African penguin or the vibrant colors of the tropical bird are accessible to everyone, regardless of their visual ability.
ReBokeh’s technology works by allowing users to leverage the live camera feed from their mobile devices with overlayed, customized filters that adjust aspects like contrast, color hue, zoom, and lighting to meet the needs of low vision users. The software also offers the opportunity for lengthened interactions with ReBokeh’s custom-built AI tool. Users can ask ReBokeh AI personalized questions about what’s around them and what they’re seeing. ReBokeh AI also works in multiple languages and will default to whichever language is selected in the user’s general mobile device settings, allowing ReBokeh AI to work as a translation tool for signage, information, and visual surroundings.
ReBokeh is extending this partnership opportunity to other museums, zoos, travel hubs, and public spaces in an effort to make low vision accessibility the rule rather than the exception. Organizations who are interested in partnering with ReBokeh can contact the team at partnerships@rebokeh.com.
About ReBokeh Ⓡ Vision Technologies
Founded in 2019, ReBokeh is on a mission to provide millions of low vision individuals with assistive tech that’s reflective of their needs. ReBokeh’s flagship product, the ReBokeh mobile app, enables users to adjust the appearance of the world around them in order to help them navigate their specific visual condition. This approach empowers low vision individuals to make use of their functional vision, rather than trying to replace it with tactile or audio descriptions.
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