BHM airport offering interpreting services to deaf and blind travelers

Last week, the Birmingham Airport Authority announced it is offering visual interpreting services and on-demand sign language interpreting to travelers as they make their way through Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport (BHM). 

This new service is provided by Aria, an app-based platform that allows subscribers to connect via mobile phone camera, with trained professionals who are available 24 hours a day.

New airport service

Here is how service works.

For the blind and low-vision communities, the program is called Aira Explorer. It does the following:

• Connects the blind and low-vision communities with a trained professional who can describe, narrate, navigate and read aloud their surroundings 
• Using a mobile phone camera, microphone and speaker, passengers can get the assistance they need — when they need it with things like searching for flight information, gate changes, the TSA Security Checkpoint or shopping for pre-flight snacks or souvenirs

For those who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, Aira ASL works similarly by providing live, real-time sign language using a mobile phone camera, microphone and speakers. 

The live interpreter translates information to include: 

• Airport announcements 
• Gate information
• Normal conversations that take place when moving through a transportation facility

Service is free for airport visitors

Users can access the services by downloading the Aira app and paying for a subscription. 

Through the BHM partnership with Aira, airport visitors can use the visual interpreting assistance for FREE while in the terminal, the parking lots or anywhere on airport property.

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