Jul. 12—Travelers with visual impairments can use a new support service to make their trips to San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport easier.
Known as Aira, the new service provides passengers' guidance through a mobile app, the airport said in a news release Wednesday, helping them move through crowds, avoid obstacles, find gates, use self-service kiosks and navigate Transportation Security Administration checkpoints.
Aira connects users with professionally trained visual interpreters who use live-streamed video to translate visual data into descriptive audio, the release said.
In the release, San Luis Obispo County Director of Airports Courtney Johnson said she's proud the airport is "making intentional steps forward to support accessibility and transportation for all."
"Aira offers a whole new level of assistance for passengers who are visually impaired and builds on the goal of being a welcoming and inclusive airport for all residents and visitors alike," Johnson said in the release.
The Aira app is free to download and available in the Apple and Google Play app stores, the airport said.
Although accessing Aira for personal use can require a monthly subscription, the airport will offer the service for free, the release said.
Aira's services will also cover customers of ACI Jet, The Spirit of San Luis restaurant and Cal Fire's Station 21, the release said.
"Access to information is a human right, and this partnership unlocks independence on their own terms for blind and low-vision travelers," Troy Otillio, the CEO of Aira, said in the release.
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