Today we are announcing the launch of Aira Access Events, an innovative visual interpreting service tailored for events of any kind. Organizers who offer Aira Access Events provide their blind and low vision attendees with an additional useful tool for accessing visual information. Using the Aira app, blind and low vision event participants can access on-demand visual interpreting, either one-on-one, or as part of a group. Anyone at an event can also use Aira’s free Access AI feature to upload or take a photo and receive an instant AI-generated description, plus verify with a visual interpreter.
Aira is announcing the availability of this service at the Disability:IN Global Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, where it is offered free for attendees during plenary sessions and at the hosting hotel. Scroll to the bottom for a full list of the Disability:IN plenary sessions where Aira is available.
Our flexible service supports blind and low vision attendees in participating more fully to create memorable event experiences. Through a simple click on their phones, Aira users can connect with a trained visual interpreter to more efficiently navigate, engage, and socialize at events. Aira’s event service is a holistic approach to making your events more accessible; visual interpreters can assist with tasks that span the event, like audio description for keynotes, wayfinding, website registration, and form completion.
While today marks the official launch of Aira Access Events, the service has been used with great success at many community events in 2024. Aira provided live visual interpreting for the total solar eclipse, the Kentucky Derby, and the White House press conference on Flag Day. At each of these events, Aira’s visual interpreters brought the event to life, in real-time, by providing vivid details and descriptions.
How Aira Access Events Works
Event attendees can download the Aira app for free in the iOS App Store or Google Play Store, and simply click in the app to join an event. By geofencing the event boundary, Aira will be available for free to any individual within that area. There is nothing for organizers’ IT teams to set-up or maintain.
Event organizers can offer Aira’s high impact visual interpreting in two ways:
Aira 1-to-1
Aira 1-to-1 enables event attendees to receive personalized visual interpreting for orientation, navigation, social interactions, venue descriptions, and more. They can open the Aira app, tap a button, and a visual interpreter will use their phone’s camera to assist with whatever task they need support on.
Aira 1-to-Many
Aira 1-to-Many is used to provide access to visual information in sessions, workshops, and static event activities for multiple people simultaneously. One visual interpreter will provide descriptions that any blind or low vision participant can access through the app.
Connect with Aira, and our team can help you to choose the best and most inclusive approach for your event.
Aira Access Events: Use Cases
Expanding access to keynote speeches and plenary sessions
Event organizers want to ensure all attendees get the most out of these meaningful speaking sessions that often set the tone for the entire event. To expand visual access, organizers can leverage Aira’s 1-to-Many visual interpreting. Attendees can open the app, and listen to live descriptions of the event. This is key for blind and low vision attendees to independently access gestures and facial expressions, supporting materials like slides and images, and descriptions of the presenters and presentation.
Navigating from the convention to the hotel
An attendee who is blind is at a tech conference. They have had a great day, and are now ready to return to their hotel. The conference organizers are offering Aira 1-to-1, and have chosen to expand access to cover the hosting hotel. The attendee has ordered an Uber, and would like some navigation assistance, so calls Aira. The visual interpreter already has the conference hall map at hand, and uses the caller’s phone camera to help them navigate to the rideshare pick up area and to the waiting vehicle. The visual interpreter stays on the call, and then uses a map of the hotel to describe the route to the correct elevator to the caller’s floor. Once they have navigated with the caller to their room, the session ends. If the caller would like additional navigation assistance later in the evening when they head to dinner, they can connect with Aira again, anytime.
Interested in offering Aira at an event? Get in touch with our team.
Providing description for multimedia and displays
A large accounting firm is holding their annual conference. At the closing dinner on the final evening, a recap video of the company’s highlights from the last year is played on a big screen. Several employees in attendance are blind. Because the conference provides Aira 1-to-Many for plenary sessions, these individuals can open the Aira app, and listen to live visual interpreting of the video. The visual interpreter describes the scenes, provides color and detail, and supports the employees in feeling included in what is being viewed, without having to ask the person next to them for more information. They are able to experience and enjoy this aspect of the event alongside their colleagues.
Aira at Disability:IN Plenary Sessions
The below sessions will have visual interpreting with Aira, available for conference attendees:
Opening Plenary – Tuesday 7/16/24 – 8:00am-9:30am PDT
Luncheon Plenary – Tuesday 7/16/24 – 11:30am-1:00pm PDT
Afternoon Plenary – Tuesday 7/16/24 – 3:00pm-4:45pm PDT
Luncheon Plenary – Wednesday 7/17/24 – 11:30am-1:15pm PDT
Closing Plenary – Thursday 7/18/24 – 10:30am-12:00pm PDT