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New Technology Available on Campus to Assist the Visually Impaired

August 28, 2019

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Johnson County Community College (JCCC) takes pride in offering a great experience for all people on campus. The College is happy to announce that it is the first school in Kansas to offer a service to people with vision loss that helps them navigate their daily lives. Access Services purchased a navigation system for this new technology, Aira, which went live on campus Aug. 5, 2019.

Using a mobile phone application or glasses equipped with a high-definition camera and a speaker, Aira users can send a livestream of what’s happening around them to an Aira “agent,” who will look at the footage and relay the information back to them.

Although JCCC is a very accessible campus, some situations still can be difficult for people with vision loss. For example, navigating to new areas on campus, reading an inaccessible PDF on a computer or even knowing what’s available at a vending machine can be difficult. With the Aira service, those information gaps can be filled.

“Aira is a great tool to use if you are visually impaired or blind,” said Fabien, a visually impaired JCCC student. “I’m very happy with this technology because it has helped me with certain tasks in my life when no one was around to assist. Lots of college kids like myself who are visually impaired or blind will be glad that the school has it.”

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