Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has launched a new service to improve the travel experience for passengers who are blind or have low vision.
Aira, a mobile app-based assistive service, connects visually impaired travelers with professionally trained visual interpreters who provide real-time descriptive guidance via live-streamed video. The service helps users navigate crowded terminals, identify and avoid obstacles, locate gates, operate self-service kiosks and pass through TSA checkpoints. The Aira app is available for free download on iTunes and Google Play; while the app may require a subscription for personal use, the airport provides the service free to travelers while on site.
© Sky Harbor International Airport
“At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, we’re committed to providing all of our customers the best possible experience, which includes making sure accessibility is a top priority,” said Chad Makovsky, director of aviation services. “I hope that with the addition of Aira service, our passengers will be empowered to travel the way they want when they choose Sky Harbor.”
The airport worked with the nonprofit Foundation for Blind Children to promote the new offering. “Our organization was founded to help people who are blind or visually impaired achieve greater independence, where vision loss is a diagnosis and not a disability,” said Marc Ashton, CEO of the Foundation for Blind Children. “By making this commitment to, and investment in greater accessibility, Phoenix Sky Harbor is truly helping to advance that vision.”
For details on Aira and other accessibility programs at the airport, visit the airport’s accessibility page.