Aira – The way to Greater Independence

by Jane Sheehan

We all are familiar with the thrill of independence we get from navigating our environment with a guide dog beside us. Nothing will ever replace that symbiotic bond. But some of us have now experienced a new tool in that independence arsenal, and like the others in this group called “Aira explorers”, I’m thrilled to share this information with you.

The people at Aira make it very clear that this technology in no way supercedes a person’s primary mobility aid, whether it be a cane or a dog guide. So Nugget will never have to fear an early retirement. But with Aira glasses, independence has just been kicked up a huge notch!

The Aira Visual Interpreter for the Blind uses a camera mounted on glasses worn by the user, linked to an IPhone app through a small wi-fi box. Through this link-up, the blind person is connected to a specially-trained agent, who will describe the environment and assist the blind person in navigating.

Uses for the Aira system are endless: navigating airports without having to wait for skycap assistance that may or may not come, going to unfamiliar places, navigating stores or hotels such as at an ACB convention, or reading mail. The possibilities are as varied as the needs of blind users.

I received my glasses about two weeks ago, and have been very pleased with them. I have gone to Starbuck’s with the assistance of an Aira agent (I knew the Starbuck’s existed within walking distance of my house, but had no clue how to get to it, or what items were on their menu). No problem: with clear direction provided by the agent, I was able to get to and navigate the Starbucks just like everyone else, which gave me such a lovely feeling of freedom! And boy, were those people in the Starbucks impressed! The agent even gave me some idea of what was around me, such as the fact that the guy ahead of me in line had a ball cap on that had a brim the same color as his shirt. Wendell, my agent, and I had a good chuckle about this color-coordinated guy.

Although I might not want to use the glasses a lot with a new guide dog so as not to distract from developing that all-important bond, using the glasses does not hinder the working relationship of the seasoned guide dog team, since The blind handler still relays directional commands to the dog, with the only difference being that the directions are being relayed from the agent.

Aira has several payment plans to choose from, based on your financial and navigational needs. More information may be obtained from their website .