Dec 22, 2019 High-Tech Help for the Visually Impaired

visually impaired person using Aira technology

RWJUH Somerset is offering a new technology to assist patients and visitors with sight loss.

Last summer, John Donohue, who has myopic degeneration—an eye condition that leads to vision loss—attended a conference for blind people in South Carolina, where he learned how to use a cane. During the meeting, the Somerville resident discovered a new technology called Aira, an app based service that connects people with sight loss with remotely located agents who provide visual guidance.

“I’d never heard of it,” says John, who worked in finance for 40 years and now volunteers at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset twice a week. “I thought ‘IRA’ was a retirement account.”

Improving access to health care

After John returned from the conference, he learned that RWJUH Somerset had become the first hospital in the nation to adopt the technology, which has been used by airports, grocery stores, parks and other businesses throughout the country. Through the camera on a smartphone, Aira agents can see a person’s surroundings and direct him or her to a particular destination.

The service is available free of charge for patients and visitors at RWJUH Somerset. “We’re committed to eliminating barriers to health care and improving access for all members of our community,” says Anthony Cava, President and Chief Executive Officer of RWJUH Somerset.

“We are proud to be Aira’s first hospital partner, ensuring that blind and low-vision members of our community can safely access our facility to get the care they need.”

John was the first person to use the Aira technology at the hospital. “I use Siri to bring up the app on my phone, then I show the agent where I am and where I want to go,” he says. John’s role as a volunteer involves giving directions to patients who are looking for the hospital’s cafeteria, coffee shop or a classroom. “I save people time,” he says. When John first started volunteering at the hospital 10 years ago, his vision was better, so he had no trouble guiding patients. Now he hopes to continue doing so with the Aira technology. “I liken it to motorized wheelchairs for paraplegics,” he says. “It gives people with sight loss more freedom and independence.”

Patients and visitors must download the Aira app on their own John Donohue, a visually impaired volunteer at RWJUH Somerset, is using a new app that helps him find his way around the hospital. phones. To learn more about how Aira works, visit www.aira.io.