Visual interpretation app helps Albany Int'l travelers

COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- July is Disability Pride Month. It started as a day of celebration in 1990—the year that the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. Albany International Airport is taking the month to highlight the accessibility features offered for travelers with disabilities.

Albany International Airport boasts a Level 3 Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation from Airports Council International. It's the first airport in the U.S. to receive that level of accreditation.

One of the features offered to travelers is the airport's partnership with Aira, an app that helps those who are blind or low vision to navigate the building with the help of an agent on the other end of a livestream.

Capital Region resident Malik Ahmed, who is blind, recently used Aira at Albany International to get on a flight to Orlando.

"He was here months in advance, just working with the agent on the other end to learn about our airport," said Albany International Airport Director of Communications Steve Smith.

Ahmed wore a harness with an iPhone fastened to his chest, with the camera facing outward. The Aira agent visually interpreted what was in front of Ahmed as he walked through the airport.

“I called Aira, and my agent--in this case, I had Michael--guided me to Delta and then all the way upstairs through security. I got my harness back on and then I went to my gate,” Ahmed said, recounting a successful departure to Florida.

“When people think about accessibility and airports, they may simply think about parking, but there’s really a lot that goes into it," Smith explained. "We have accommodations here at the airport such as the Sunflower Program for people with invisible disabilities such as epilepsy, diabetes, and even allergies.”