Aira Visual Interpreting Services

The University of Cincinnati is proud to announce we are now an Aira Access Partner!

Aira visual interpreting services are available at no cost.

Students, employees, families, alumni, and visitors on any of our campuses can open the Aira app on their phone and connect free of charge with a professional visual interpreter. The visual interpreter will access the caller’s phone camera and describe, narrate, navigate and read aloud to assist. Aira is available 365 days a week, every day of the week, any time of day. No advance reservations are required.

Aira is a visual interpreting service that makes visual information accessible for people who are blind or have low vision, or for any person with a disability who may benefit from verbal descriptions of visual information. Visual interpreting conveys vital information through verbal communication.

Aira connects callers with trained, sighted agent who can describe visual information at the caller's request. Aira’s visual interpreters undergo rigorous training on orientation and mobility, and use detailed descriptions to assist callers in accessing more information about their surroundings. Visual interpreting is collaborative, with the interpreter and the caller working together to accomplish tasks.

Aira’s visual interpreters draw on their extensive training and experience to assist with a vast range of daily tasks. Any time you face a barrier because you are unable to access visual information, you can call on Aira.

Some popular tasks for visual interpreters include:

• Navigating around campus
• Using public transit
• Reading printed materials like signage, menus, product labels, etc.
• Identifying food items in dining halls
• Locating items
• Navigating crowded spaces
• Finding a classroom
• Reading board work or presentations in class
• Reading content on digital signage
• Acquiring descriptions of images or videos
• Getting descriptions at live events
• Obtaining audio descriptions of performances, graduation ceremonies, and sporting events

The Aira Explorer app page has everything you need to know to get started. 

Get the Aira app for Google Play, iOS, or use the Aira web app.

Select “Call an Aira agent” to initiate service from a trained Aira visual interpreter. With the press of a button, your phone's camera will stream a live video to one of Aira’s highly skilled visual interpreters.

Tell the Aira agent how they can help you. The visual interpreter can describe in detail your surroundings, narrate, navigate, or read aloud.

UC is an Aira Access Partner, so you can use Aira Explorer and connect with a visual interpreter free of charge on any of our campuses, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When you call Aira from an Access Partner location (within a geofence), the offer will automatically be applied.

To manually search for Access Partner offers, open the Aira app, and click “Browse Access Offers.” You can scroll through recently used offers, and even see ones available near you. Some examples of popular locations include Starbucks, Target, and the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

The Aira support team is available daily from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM Eastern Time using the contact methods below.

Email: support@aira.io

Phone: 1-800-835-1934

Text message: 1-858-242-4457

For general inquiries about Aira at the University of Cincinnati, please contact Accessibility Resources at AccessResources@uc.edu or via phone at 513-556-6823.

• Aira is not a safety device and cannot replace your mobility aid.
• If you generally use a mobility aid (white cane, guide dog or sighted guide), it is recommend that you use your mobility aid when traveling with Aira.
• Agents cannot tell you when it’s safe to cross a street, but they can tell you the color of the light, give you a description of the layout and give you pedestrian signal information when the information is available.
• Once you enter the intersection, parking lot or other scenarios where pedestrians and vehicles are nearby, your agent will remain quiet unless you explicitly ask for information. When agents provide information in these scenarios, they will provide simple and short verbal information so you can focus on using your senses including hearing.

Use of Aira is between the end user and Aira Tech Corp. Users must agree to Aira’s Terms of Service (“Terms”) and Privacy Policy. Read the Terms carefully before using Aira. Using Aira indicates that you accept and agree to be bound by the Terms. Do not use Aira if you do not accept the Terms.