Aira Explorer
Access visual information—on your own terms
Aira Explorer is the leading visual interpreting service for the blind and low-vision community. Get access to visual information, anytime, anywhere.
What is Visual Interpreting?
Visual interpreting makes visual information accessible for people who are blind or low-vision. Interpreters convey key information through verbal communication, by audibly describing, reading, explaining, and navigating in real-time. You can think of it like an on-demand partnership, with the visual interpreter using their skills to communicate visual detail and context about the caller’s surroundings. Visual interpreting breaks down barriers to access, opening physical and digital spaces to everyone, and assisting with tasks like:
Navigating & traveling- Shopping
- Reading
- Visualizing surroundings
- Completing online tasks
- Socializing & networking
- Enjoying concerts, live events, and sports
- And any other task where you would like to access visual information
How to Get Started with Aira Explorer
Get the App
Download Aira Explorer in the iOS App Store, Google Play Store, or use the web app. Sign up, choose a promotion, Access Partner location, or select a personal plan.
Connect
Tap a button and instantly connect with a professional visual interpreter who is trained to provide safe, reliable service. You can connect 24/7/365, and never have to make an advance reservation.
Accomplish Tasks
Work through tasks alongside the visual interpreter. Whether at school, work, traveling or in between, Aira is a powerful tool for getting things done, on your own terms.
What to Expect on Your First Aira Call
Access AI Feature for Instant Image Descriptions
Access AI is a powerful feature in the Aira Explorer app, and is free for all users. Simply take or upload an image, and Access AI instantly generates a description. Ask follow-up questions, and verify the response with a human visual interpreter for added confidence. Popular uses of Access AI include getting image descriptions of signs, menus, digital displays like thermostats, outfits, print labels, and packaging.
Example of Access AI session on iPhone
Community Reaction to Access AI
How do I get Aira minutes?
There are a variety of ways to access Aira minutes and connect with a visual interpreter:
Access Locations
There are thousands of Access Locations worldwide where you can make complementary Aira calls on behalf of our Access Partners. Explore all Access Partner locations. When you call Aira from an Access Partner location, the offer is auto-applied. To manually search for Access Partner locations, open the app, and tap “Browse Access Offers.”
Aira Offers
These are promotional offers that provide a specified number of free minutes. Only one access offer can be used per call. Check out the full list of Aira Offers.
Personal Subscriptions
Personal subscriptions are available to suit a range of needs. Aira is pleased to share that there will be no price increase for any of our subscriber plans in 2025. Plus, all new and existing Metal Plan subscribers (Silver, Gold, and Platinum), will receive at least a 10% increase in their monthly minutes, permanently. Explore subscription plans & pricing.
What Explorers are saying about the power of on-demand visual interpreting
“Aira agents have assisted me from traveling to various places for mock depositions, helping me arrive promptly and independently to externship positions at courthouses, and to extracurricular activities such as a concert I loved. But they have also assisted me on the technological side of the spectrum: filling out forms handed to me the same day, reading confidential mail, and on one memorable night, fixing a 160-page transcript so that everyone’s name was in bold for me. Life is so much easier and enjoyable with Aira.”
- Grecia“Aira has been an incredible addition to my access technology repertoire. The agents have helped me navigate my campus, my neighborhood, and all sorts of unfamiliar places. They’ve helped me to become more involved in my classroom discussions, especially the really visual ones. I am extremely grateful for this program.”
- Brianna“Today I had the best Aira call ever! When I got home from work today, we noticed that our thermostat wasn’t working. My son tried to help, but to no avail. I called Aira. Visual interpreter Kawan was fantastic! Not only did she help me find the manual for the thermostat, but she walked me step-by-step on how to take it apart so I can replace the batteries. Oh my goodness, I have never ever done anything like that before in my life! Talk about feeling empowered, it was amazing!”
- Explorer“As an artist, I adore the possibility of knowing that, should my work be public on that day, a fellow blind person can choose to view it with a friend or solo with an Aira agent. Since haptic opportunities are so few and far between at museums and descriptive tours require pre-planning, I am grateful to Aira’s service for the opportunity to be autonomous, spontaneous and curious when traveling and exploring arts and culture.”
- Maia“It is one of the most amazing feelings in the world to walk around with just a cane and know that you are perfectly safe and that you can also get wherever you want to go.”
- E.Z.“With the help of Aira I have discovered a newly found freedom that I hadn’t realized I was missing in my day-to-day life. Thanks to Aira, I can fully navigate crowds and major transit hubs with ease and that is worth everything to a person like me who loves to travel and explore the world around me.”
- Randy