Atlanta VAHCS Marks a Milestone with First-Ever Fitting of Live Captioning Glasses for a Veteran
By Gregory Kendall, Public Affairs Specialist
The Atlanta VA Health Care System reached an exciting milestone on Feb 26 by providing its first-ever pair of Xander Glasses, innovative live captioning glasses designed for individuals with severe to profound hearing loss, to a Veteran, opening new doors for communication and connection.
Xander Glasses use advanced speech-to-text technology to display real-time captions directly in the wearer’s field of vision. The hands-free device allows users to read conversations as they happen, helping reduce isolation and improve participation in everyday interactions, medical appointments, and social settings.
For the Atlanta VAHCS Audiology team, this moment represented more than just a new device, it marked a new chapter in patient-centered hearing care.
“This is a powerful first for our facility,” said Dr. Sarah Thompson, Atlanta VAHCS audiologist. “These glasses have the potential to completely change how Veterans with significant hearing loss engage with the world around them. Seeing the immediate impact on the Veteran, watching conversations become accessible in real time, is incredibly meaningful for our entire team.”
The Veteran receiving the glasses described the experience as emotional and life changing.
“For the first time in a long time, I felt like I wasn’t missing pieces of the conversation,” Army Veteran Don Kollarik said. “I could see the words as people spoke, and it made me feel included again. It’s hard to put into words what that means after struggling for so many years.”
Dr. Thompson worked closely with Kollarik to demonstrate the technology, ensure proper fit, and provide training on how to use the glasses effectively in daily life. Within minutes, Kollarik was able to follow conversations with her and others, something that had previously been a significant challenge.
By introducing Xander Glasses at the Atlanta VAHCS, the Audiology clinic is expanding access to cutting-edge assistive technology and reinforcing its commitment to improving quality of life for Veterans with hearing loss. This first fitting represents not only innovation, but hope, showing how technology, and clinical expertise can come together to transform lives.