At the start of the fall term, OSU announced a partnership with Aira, a wayfinding and visual interpretation tool that provides support services for blind and low-vision users. This free service is available 24 hours a day and covers almost all OSU campuses and buildings, including Extension sites. Aira provides live interpretation of visual elements such as signs, maps, directories or documents and assists users with navigating any location on or off campus.
Director of Access and Affirmative Action Gabe Merrell said that he has already received positive feedback on the service from a student who had used Aira in other locations and is excited to see it coming to OSU.
To get started, users download the Aira Explorer app (available for Android or Apple devices) and set up an account. Once connected, one of Aira’s live agents will describe their surroundings based on GPS data and what is visible through the device’s camera. Aira’s interpretation services are available in English, French and Spanish.
Users who wish to utilize Aira off-campus may do so by contacting the Equal Opportunity and Access Office at equal.opportunity@oregonstate.edu to have that option added to their account.
