In This Story
Walmart (WMT-3.00%) wants to make it easier for blind and low vision shoppers to navigate its stores with a new pilot program.
The retail giant has signed a partnership with mobile app Aira, to connect users with professional sighted interpreters that can provide visual information, such as reading text and navigation cues. The service is completely free.
“Walmart and Aira are committed to ensuring that blind and low vision customers have the tools they need to shop confidently,” said Everette Bacon, Aira’s chief of blindness initiatives. The partnership is aimed at showing customers that the companies ‘think about the needs of the people they serve,’” Bacon, who is blind, noted.
Approximately 12 million people 40 and older in the U.S. have some form of vision impairment, including one million who are blind, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Vision impairment ranks among the top 10 disabilities for adults over 18 and is also a leading disability in children. For these individuals, accessible shopping options are crucial, and Aira could be a tool that can bridge the gap between real-time assistance and a less strenuous retail experience.
Through the Aira app, trained interpreters will have remote access to a customer’s camera via their smartphone or other wearable device. The interpreters will then be able to describe a shopper’s surroundings, helping them identify products, read labels, and navigate the store. This service is available without time limits.
Over the previous years, Walmart has rolled out several initiatives aimed at improving accessibility for customers with disabilities, including sensory-friendly shopping hours.
The partnership comes shortly after Walmart said late last month it would be rolling back on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives over concerns over conservative boycotts.