C-Tran offers visual interpreters to help Clark County’s blind bus riders navigate safely

C-Tran recently began offering free visual assistance services to help blind and low-vision bus riders navigate their routes.

C-Tran has teamed up with Aira, a California-based company, to offer free access to the cellphone app Aira Explorer. Aira Explorer connects users with trained visual interpreters via a live video call. Through the app, interpreters use the rider’s phone camera to assist with navigation, read aloud signs and describe the environment, ensuring a smoother and safer travel experience.

“This felt like a natural fit,” said Eric Florip, a spokesman for C-Tran.

C-Tran was aware of Aira because the company also works with the Portland International Airport, he said.

Riders can use Aira Explorer for free while traveling on C-Tran buses, thanks to a special feature in the app that activates when they board, according to a C-Tran news release.

Riders can make calls to Aira 24/7, and no advance reservations are required. There is no limit or cost to calls, and the service is designed to be available whenever the need arises.

C-Tran riders can also use Aira’s image chat feature, where they can upload or take a photo — like of a bus stop sign — and receive a detailed artificial intelligence-generated description.

Everette Bacon, Aira’s chief of blindness initiatives, said a lack of access to visual assistance can hinder independence.

“When riders know they have professional visual interpreting at their fingertips, it means more engaging, efficient and inclusive travel,” Bacon said in a news release.