Metro Transit riders with visual impairments now have free access to "remote eyes" to help them find their way under a new six-month pilot in which a live agent can guide them through their trip.
Call it a video travel buddy for people who are blind, said Ken Rodgers, who has used the Aira app while shopping at Target, patronizing Starbucks and traveling through the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
"There are times in our travels that you get disoriented or don't know which direction is left, right, up or down," he said. "Sometimes you need a quick pair of eyes to give a frame of reference."
Aira is a subscription service for which "explorers," as customers are called, pay a fee to access a live operator who watches a video stream from the user's cellphone camera. Through a video chat, the agent can help them read schedules and bus destination signs, direct them to the proper bus stop or complete a transfer, and route them around construction while providing a description of what's in the camera's field of vision.
Through Dec. 7, Metro Transit is paying a $25,000 fee to the company to allow train and bus riders to use the service at no cost.
"Wayfinding is a known customer complaint for those who are blind or have low vision," said Bre Grand, a Metro Transit project manager. Offering the service for free "is part of the commitment we have to improve accessibility for customers."
About 10% of Metro Transit riders have a disability, but it is not known how many have visual impairments, she said.
Transit operators can provide verbal assistance over the phone, but can't video chat. "They are not able to know what the live conditions on-street are," Grand said.