Expanded Subscriptions Types, and Investments to Support Our Community
As we’re sure you’ve learned by now, we announced that our monthly subscription prices would increase in early 2023. This, along with recent changes to our free service, share one goal—to build a healthy, sustainable visual interpreting accommodation service. This article explains the rationale behind this announcement and provides details about the new plans and prices.
The Rationale
For the past seven years, Aira has not published the retail prices of our plans. The price of an individual subscription has been far below what it actually costs to deliver service. We understand that resources are often limited for people in the blind and low vision community; therefore we will continue to invest a portion of our profits to offset the cost of an individual Aira subscription, and continue to make the service as affordable as possible, for as many people as possible.
Introducing the 2023 Retail Plans and Prices
Our goal was to deliver a set of plans that align closely with how the majority of you use the service. Each plan consists of minutes and other features. Plans range in price and features to meet the variety of use cases our customers have demonstrated, from the basic to the complex.
Understanding the Plan Types
- There are three plan types: Silver, Gold and Platinum.
- Within each plan type, there are three levels: 1-star, 2-stars and 3-stars.
- The number of monthly minutes increases as you move up from Silver to Gold to Platinum, and within each plan type from 1 to 2 to 3-stars.
- The option to share a plan, from two to five people (total count of members including primary account owner) is a feature tied to plan type, increasing as you move up from Silver to Gold to Platinum.
Understanding the Prices
The price list shows the full retail price however, this is not what an individual will pay. Aira will invest a portion of our profits to offset the cost of an individual Aira subscription, making the service more affordable for more people. These contributions are called Aira Offsets, they have been set by plan type and are the same for each person on a given plan—fair and equitable.
You can find the 2023 Plans and Prices here.
How to Enroll in an Affordable Personal Plan
Our goal is to reduce the cost of our service for individual people, not enterprises. We are not asking for any proof nor do we require any documentation. Aira will grant the offset based on your request alone. Simply by contacting Customer Care and answering several questions, you will be eligible. You can learn what your price will be after Aira’s contribution by contacting Customer Care.
Other Ways to Fund Your Aira Service
Organizations like Amazon, Google, and Salesforce have a commitment to hire people who are blind or low vision, and provide Aira as a workplace accommodation. We suggest discussing Aira as an accommodation at your workplace if employed. Additionally, the states of Alabama, California, Connecticut, Colorado, and Texas make Aira available to qualifying residents through their respective vocational rehabilitation services departments. We are always happy to have a conversation with an employer or vocational rehabilitation counselor, simply email access@aira.io or contact Customer Care.
A Mission with a Vision
Our mission has always been, and remains, to remove visual barriers and make the world more accessible, creating pathways to even greater independence. As we move into 2023, we will expand our focus on access in education and employment. With more larger entities sharing in this commitment, including the government, it’s easy for us to envision a time when Visual Interpreting Accommodation Service is a first class accessibility tool on par with American Sign Language and Video Relay Service.
For more information
This web page Introducing the 2023 Retail Plans and this set of Frequently Asked Questions contain a great deal of information. When you are ready to purchase a new plan or if you want to discuss your options, our Customer Care team members are ready to assist you; they are available daily from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Pacific at 1-800-835-1934.
We recognize there is a lot of information to process and we anticipate our phone lines will be busy. Remember, there are other ways to reach us; by email at support@aira.io or you can set up a call back if you want to avoid waiting on the line, the next available representative will reach out. Either way, our Care team members are eager to assist you. If you simply want to share feedback, positive or otherwise, we invite you to write to us at support@aira.io.
As always, thank you for being part of our community.