Shopping with vision loss is like a treasure hunt, minus the fun. If you are able to locate the appropriate aisle for an item, then you still have to hunt for the spot that item is hidden in. Counting on memory is useful to a point, until the store gets rearranged or the product package is redesigned. It can help to use magnifiers or apps, to identify products, however, these tools do not exactly streamline the process. Finding human help is usually easier said than done.
It just so happens Target and Walmart have a solution for visually impaired and blind customers. Both retailers now offer live visual assistance, through the Aira app, in all their US stores, and online. The beauty of this arrangement is it brings you directly to a trained agent, who can see what you may not be seeing yourself. The shopping assistance is paid for by the retailer, not the customer, and there is no time limit on your session. So, go ahead, shop to your heart’s content.
If the Aira Explorer app is not already loaded on your phone, get it on Google Play or the App Store. Open the app and instantly connect with a live visual interpreter for professional assistance navigating the store or the website, locating products, price checking, exploring in-store promotions, and getting checked out. There is much to be said for trained shopping assistants, available when you need it. You will find it incredibly refreshing to interact with a real person, not a chatbot. And, by the way, live beings easily beat artificial brains, when it comes to finding, reading and identifying all kinds of stuff.
Give it a try at a Target or Walmart near you and elevate your shopping game. The video that follows combines technology, AI and human interaction, for a most productive outcome, featuring Aira using Meta Ray-Ban Glasses as an alternative to your smartphone.
Accessible Shopping at Walmart for people who are blind or low vision
