Looking Back at 2025, Stepping into 2026

Published: 08. January 2026

Festive graphic showing the number 2026 in rose gold glitter text with confetti and streamers on a light background.

2026 is here. A new chapter has started, and with it comes a lot of curiosity about what the year might bring. Before we move too far ahead, we would like to look back at 2025.

According to numerology, 2025 was a year of growth, completion, and transformation. For us at BlindShell, that feels very true. It was a year full of change, learning, and, most importantly, people.

A Year of Listening and Improving

After launching BlindShell Classic 3 in 2024, we spent much of 2025 listening. We focused on improving what already existed. We released updates for BlindShell Classic 2 and BlindShell Classic 3, sent out twelve newsletters, answered many messages, and spent thousands of minutes on the phone with you.

If you would like to stay in touch and not miss any news or updates, you can subscribe to the BlindShell newsletter here.

Every written feedback or a direct call from our community mattered. Talking directly with you helps us understand what works, what can be better, and where to go next.

Meeting You in Person

Some of the best moments of 2025 happened when we met you face-to-face. In March last year, we attended the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference in Anaheim, USA for the first time. It was a big step for us and an inspiring experience. It already feels like it happened a long time ago, which says a lot about how full the year was.

At CSUN, we were happy to welcome Sam from The Blind Life as part of our team. We also had the chance to meet Molly Burke at our booth and talk about accessibility, technology and everyday life with her.

In May, we went to SightCity in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. This conference became memorable for us because BlindShell Classic 3 was awarded the Best Product of the Conference. We celebrated, of course, and the award still makes us proud!

In November, we attended INSPO in Prague. INSPO has a special place in our hearts, and we never miss it. It is where we meet our Czech customers, see familiar faces, and remind ourselves where our journey began.

Molly Burke and Sam, the Blind Life, standing close together and smiling at the BlindShell booth during an assistive technology conference. Molly is wearing a light colored cap and a beige sweater and has a conference badge on a lanyard. Sam is wearing a black BlindShell polo shirt with the BlindShell logo and an exhibitor badge. Both appear relaxed and friendly. Behind them are BlindShell banners and promotional materials.
A large group of BlindShell team members posing together behind the BlindShell exhibition booth at an assistive technology conference. The group is smiling and facing the camera. Many are wearing BlindShell branded shirts and conference badges. A glass award labeled “SightCity 2025” is placed prominently on the counter in front of them. The booth is decorated with white and yellow balloons, and BlindShell banners and promotional materials are visible in the background. The photo captures a moment of celebration and teamwork following a conference achievement.
Visitors gathered around the BlindShell booth at the INSPO assistive technology conference, listening to product demonstrations and asking questions in a busy exhibition hall.

Building Features Together

SightCity was also where many of the visitors tried Observo for the first time. We released it just before the conference, and your reactions meant a lot to us. Observo can describe scenes, recognize banknotes, and read text from photos. All of this works in one app. No extra apps are needed! How amazing!

We also worked with Inclusive Gaming on something just for fun. Dynonid is a new puzzle game for BlindShell Classic 2 and 3. You help two dinosaurs find their way back to each other by clearing a path through a world full of eggs. Seeing people smile while playing it was one of the highlights of the year.

As a small Christmas gift from us to you, we added two brand-new games to BlindShell. From 24 December, you can enjoy Sudoku and the Quiz game, both perfect for challenging your patience, logic, and knowledge. We were especially happy to hear how much you like the new Quiz game. We have even been told it is almost addictive. As a fun bonus, Sudoku is our very first BlindShell game that can also be played using the touchscreen.

Thank You for Being Part of This

None of this would exist without you. Whether you met us at a conference, called us with a question, shared feedback, tested new features, or told someone else about BlindShell, you are part of our community.

As we step into 2026, we do it together with you. We carry everything we learned in 2025 with us and look forward to continuing the journey side by side. We hope to see you in person again, or to stay in touch by email or on Facebook Messenger. Your ideas and feedback mean a lot to us. And do not forget to join the BlindShell Forum, a community created just for you, our users.

Soft pink confetti and ribbon streamers floating across a light background, suggesting celebration and joy.