Hadley Presents: A Conversation with the Experts Episode: The Aira App: On Demand, Expert Assistance Release Date: March 27, 2025

In this insightful episode of Hadley Presents: A Conversation with the Experts, host Ricky Enger sits down with Everett Bacon, Chief of Blindness Initiatives at Aira, and Janine Stanley, Director of Customer Success and Engagement at Aira. Together, they delve deep into the functionalities, benefits, and future of the Aira App—a revolutionary tool designed to provide on-demand, expert visual assistance for individuals with vision loss.

1. Introduction to Aira

Ricky Enger opens the discussion by highlighting the frequent mentions of Aira on the show and the need to explore its offerings in detail.

Ricky Enger [00:00]:
"It's so awesome to have you both... But we've never really had a chance to dive into what Aira is."

Everett Bacon [01:56]:
"AIRA is access to visual information on demand from a trained visual interpreter... you can get access to visual information."

Janine Stanley [02:31]:
"Security and privacy and the ability to read and keep secure your personal information... our visual interpreters sign a number of confidentiality agreements."

2. Core Functionality and Use Cases

The conversation transitions to the practical applications of Aira, showcasing its versatility in everyday tasks as well as more complex activities.

Janine Stanley [04:03]:
"One of the biggest ones that I hear is finding things that you've dropped... Like picking up pet messes... Lots of reading."

Everett Bacon [04:35]:
"From helping put together a computer desk to setting up a pizza oven... There's so many different things that I've been able to use AIRA for and get information."

Everett Bacon [05:19]:
"If I had a real-life paid assistant that was at my beck and call... Whenever I need something, read to me on the go."

3. AI Integration: Access AI

Ricky steers the conversation towards the integration of Artificial Intelligence within Aira, emphasizing its growing prominence and benefits.

Everett Bacon [09:25]:
"Access AI is built into our app and it's basically our way of giving you image description... We've built in some prompts that let the AI know that this is a blind person... You can label all of your photos in your phone."

Janine Stanley [10:50]:
"The big thing that we just added was verification with an agent... If you do something like take a COVID test, please verify those results with a live human."

Ricky Enger [11:44]:
"It's one of those trust but verify things where if it is essential that you have that information correct... get that info from a human right there in the same app."

4. Payment and Accessibility: Access Offers

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on making Aira accessible and affordable through various partnerships and access offers.

Everett Bacon [13:08]:
"We have partnerships with Walmart right now... You can use Aira for free at any Walmart store or online."

Janine Stanley [15:05]:
"The city of Mesa, Arizona... is an AIRA access location for all of their public facilities... the state of Colorado."

Ricky Enger [16:01]:
"There's actually a spot right there in the app where you can browse all of those things and go, yay, my airport is an access location."

5. Platforms and Accessibility Options

Expanding beyond smartphones, the experts discuss the various platforms through which users can access Aira, ensuring flexibility and convenience.

Everett Bacon [17:07]:
"Desktop application... You can work with a trained visual interpreter if you want to share your screen."

Ricky Enger [17:37]:
"That would be like if you are having trouble with the website or something and you just need someone to maybe click the mouse for you or show you where something is."

Everett Bacon [17:54]:
"We also offer Aira with the Envision glasses... We have figured out a way to offer Aira on the Meta glasses."

6. Overcoming Hesitations and Final Thoughts

As the episode nears its conclusion, Everett and Janine provide encouragement and final insights to listeners who might be hesitant to try Aira.

Janine Stanley [20:03]:
"AIRA gives you autonomy... Everett's team and customer care... are amazing at walking you through technical issues."

Everett Bacon [20:43]:
"Aira is one tool of many... if you didn’t feel comfortable using all the different apps out there, Aira can meet a lot of those needs... it's very easy to use, intuitive."

Ricky Enger [22:03]:
"That first call, once you get that first call under your belt, it's like... this is a tool that can fit in my daily life and help me with things."

7. Conclusion

Ricky wraps up the episode by acknowledging the passion and dedication of Everett and Janine, emphasizing the invaluable role Aira plays in enhancing the lives of individuals with vision loss.

Ricky Enger [23:02]:
"Thank you both so much, Janine and Everett, for stopping by, spending a little time talking about Aira... We appreciate having you."

Key Takeaways

• Aira's Core Offering: On-demand visual assistance via trained interpreters accessible through multiple platforms, including smartphones, desktops, and smart glasses.

• Access AI: An AI-powered feature that provides image descriptions, enhanced with human verification for accuracy.

• Accessibility Partnerships: Aira collaborates with major retailers, museums, airports, cities, and states to offer free or low-cost access at various locations.

• User Autonomy: Aira empowers users with the choice of assistance, fostering independence while providing support when needed.

• Ease of Use: Designed with the blind and low vision community in mind, Aira ensures an intuitive and user-friendly experience.

For more information about Aira and its services, listeners are encouraged to explore the Aira app or reach out to Hadley for additional support.