Airacast: Recent Episodes
Aira Tech Corp
The official podcast of Aira, the visual interpreter service for people who are blind or have low vision. At Aira, we connect people, via our free smartphone app, to trained professionals who provide visual information – all on demand. Subscribe to Airacast to learn about our technology, hear the latest innovations, ways you can use the service for free, agent profiles, and more.
Episode NotesAiracast is celebrating global Accessibility Awareness Day! In this episode we take a look at Aira’s new Access AI feature. You have a number of ways to get image descriptions and other information both from inside the Aira app and through the share sheet. This includes access to verification or direct connection to our visual interpreters. If you don’t have the Access AI feature in your Aira Explorer app, just tap on the Access AI tab at the bottom of the home screen. Then complete the form to get started. We will email you when your feature is activated.
If you have any questions, suggestions or comments about Access AI, you can email us, support@aira.io. You can also call us at 1-800-835-1934. For more information about visual interpreting, visit our web site at www.aira.io.
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Episode NotesIN the second of our Events series we bring you coverage of the 2024 Kentucky Derby. The race was exciting but there’s so much more to the spectacal of the 150th running of this first jewel in the Triple Crown. Our visual interpreters give you background on the fashions, the horses and jockeys with a feed live from Churchill Downs.
Questions or comments about this podcast? You can email us at airacast@aira.io. Learn more about visual interpreting at www.aira.io.
Find out more at https://airacast.pinecast.co
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Aira Events: Total Eclipse of the Park 2024 Eclipse coverage
Our customers asked for more visual interpreting at live events. We’re starting that coverage with the solar eclipse of 2024. Professional visual interpreters will describe the activities both in the sky and on the ground at the Total Eclipse of the Park event in Rochester, NY. In cooperation with the South East Area Coalition we’ll bring you live descriptions of the totality when the moon completely obscures the sun. Plus much more throughout the afternoon including demos of robots, beep baseball, audio darts and corn hole from the beautiful Genessee Valley Park.
Comments or questions about the podcast? Email us at airacast@aira.ioLearn more about visual interpreting at www.aira..io
Find out more at https://airacast.pinecast.co
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Episode NotesAiracast Introducing Access AI
Aira has added AI image description and verification to our mobile and web apps. We’ve bridged that gap between AI and professional, secure human visual interpreters. In this episode we’ll take you through each of the features of Access AI. What differentiates it from other AI image solutions? Chapter markers are included so you can quickly get to the feature you want to learn. To get on the list for the Access AI beta, go to the Access AI tab in the Aira app and follow the prompts or visit https://bit.ly/AccessAIBetaSignup.
For more information about Aira, visit www.aira.io or contact our Customer Care Team at 1.800.835. 1934, support@aira.io. Contact this podcast at airacast@aira.io.
Find out more at https://airacast.pinecast.co
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Episode NotesJoin us as we begin the fourth quarter of 2023. CEO Troy Otillio updates us on Aira’s activities and spotlights #NDEAM. Sevana Massih, VP of Service Delivery, gives a big update on our visual interpreters and tells you how you can get free Aira minutes and benefit the community as well. How about using Aira to take in an amazing art exhibit? Learn about it on the call. Plus app updates and your questions. You can contact us via email, airacast@aira.io.
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Episode Notes Have you been experiencing long wait times or difficulty reaching an agent? Aira’s CEO, Troy Otillio, and VP of Blindness Initiatives, Everette Bacon, give an update. We learn about some new Access Network partners. Then it’s a demo of the new feedback process and how customers made it happen with Product Manager, Jodi Barthel. Plus your questions.
If you are having difficulty with the Aira Explorer app, please direct issues through the feedback form at the end of each call. You can also send feedback about the app to support@aira.io. Be sure to include the model of your phone and which version of the operating system you are using.
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Episode Notes We introduce Everett Bacon, VP of Blindness Initiatives. Then The A Team takes over our call to tell you how agents prepare for the busy convention season. If you’re traveling to Houston or Schaumburg, or other conferences throughout July, you won’t want to miss their tips and tricks.
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Episode NotesNow you can share your mobile screen with an agent directly from our Aira Explorer app. If you haven’t made the switch to our new app, you can download it from the App Store or Google Play today.
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The change of season brings changes to the Vispero Access Network offer. Rachel Buchanan joins us to let you know all about it. Plus, we’ll talk app rating and what to have on hand before calling tech support.
Links from this episode: https://freedomscientific.com/training training@vispero.com support@vispero.com and by phone at 1-800-444-4443 Episode NotesThis podcast is powered by Pinecast.
This month we’re talking updates. First we look at updates to the Aira Explorer app since its launch. Then Sevana Massih, VP of Service Delivery and Amanda Nuckoles, Agent Manager, give us an update on the feedback process, how it works and why it’s important. Send your questions and comments to airacast@aira.io.
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Imagine just going to a museum exhibit or cultural event and not having to ask for accommodations. Lisa Sonneborn, Director, Media Arts and Culture, Institute on Disabilities,Temple University, tells us about an upcoming “pop-up” event.
“File/Life: We Remember Stories from Pennhurst”April 20 - 23Arch Street Meeting House, Philadelphia, PA is an interactive experience chronicling an important piece of disability history.
Follow the progress of this event at https://instagram.com/mac_iod. Episode NotesThis podcast is powered by Pinecast.
In this episode I’ll show you the much easier and more accessible version of Team Viewer you can use on your PC or Mac with the Aira desktop app, Team Viewer Quick Support, https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/info/quicksupport/We’ve mentioned the What 3 Words app for iOS and Android before. Now I’ll take a closer look at this app. Https://what3words.com.Subscribe to our Youtube channl: https://youtube.com/c/airaio Drop us a line at airacast@aira.io.Episode Notes
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Episode NotesIn this episode we talk with Agent Trainer Tiffany Mannosh about her experiences at CSUNATC23. Then we answer the eternal question, “What does Aira stand for?” Version 1.4 of the Aira Explorer app is out and there are some new features and we’re demoing them here. If you have questions or comments about the show, email us at airacast@aira.io.
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Episode NotesAira was at the 2023 CSUN Assistive Technology Conference where the buzz word was AI. Join us with special guest Mike May of Good Maps for a review. We’ll hear all about the new Aira Explorer app https://aira.io/app now available on iOS and Android plus Aira news and your questions.
Subscribe to our RSS feed at https://aira.io/feed for all of our breaking news.
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Episode NotesWe’re back with an episode that aspires to great heights with the demo of our new Android app, Aira Explorer available directly from your mobile device at https://aira.io/app. Then we talk with Theresa Montano from the Mile High State of Colorado, our newest Access Network partner. Learn more about access to state buildings and web sites with Aira at http://oit.colorado.gov/accessibility/aira. Contact Theresa at Theresa.montano@state.co.us.
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Episode NotesThis month the Aira Explorer app debuts in Google Play. You can get a preview of how it’ll work in iOS bye using our desktop app, https://explorer.aira.io. Subscribe to our RSS feed to get all of the Aira News including an upcoming staff position announcement at https://aira.io/feed. Questions about the call? Email us at airacast@aira.io.
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In this special edition of our Explorer Call we talk about the new Aira plans and pricing with CEO, Troy Otillio, VP of Marketing, Sandra Marcus and VP of Service Delivery, Sevana Massih. You can get an accessible PDF of the new plans and pricing in all currencies by completing a short form at https://bit.ly/airaoffset. For more information about the new plans or how to remain with your current plan, contact our Customer Care team, 1-800-835-1934 or support@aira.io.Episode Notes
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Join us for a webinar to discuss our new plans and pricing, Wednesday, January 11, 6:00pm Eastern time, Register in advance for this webinar:https://aira.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2dcNNvGkQW6-2JLbBUN87A
Or join our live stream at https://youtube.com/c/airaio.Episode NotesThis podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Aira Discovery Series Discover Aira and Holiday Shopping
In our last webinar for 2022 we talk with three entrepreneurs who use the Intuit Small Business offer. Krystle Zamudio is an independent Scentsi consultant and can be found at krystlezamudio@gmail.com, http://krystlezamudio.scentsy.us Casey Mathews runs Web Friendly Help and can be reached at http://webfriendlyhelp.com, help@webfriendlyhelp.com
Brandon Olivarez is a financial advisor and can be reached at http://possiblepromise.com, Brandon@possiblepromise.com pisode Notes This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Aira Special: Feature Changes
Jenine Stanley and Sandi Marcus review the recent communications about changes to Aira’s sponsored programs. We start with a review of the privacy policy, https://aira.io/privacy and terms of service, https://aira.io/tos. Next there’s a review of our Job Seeker promo followed by the outline of the new free five minute offer frequency. Then there’s a review of legacy plans and how they will change. Finally we end with feedback from our customers. Read more about changes happening December 5 at https://aira.io/newsroom. You can send your questions and comments to support@aira.io or call our Customer Care team at 1-800-835-1934. This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
Episode Notes Karthik Kannan CTO and co-founder of Envision joins us with some updates for the Envision glasses. Then our CEO, Troy Otillio, talks about some changes that will be made to Aira’s free minutes and offers. For more about Envisionb, visit http://letsenvision.com. Send us your questions and comments at airacast@aira.io.
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Discovering aira and Content Creation
Have you ever wanted to give content creation a try? Aira is a great tool in your toolbox of creativity. Our panel of content creators and Aira Agents bring you their tips and tricks for unleashing your brand via digital media, print, video and more.
You can find our amazing panelists at:
Iris Pang Instagram: https://Instagram.com/pangbaoshaniris Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iris.m.pang Twitter: https://twitter.com/gracesong815 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iris-m-pang/
Robert Kingett Website: https://blindjournalist.wordpress.com/ Facebook: https://facebook.com/kingettr
Claire Potter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/285026739573632/
Wenwei Fisher Twitter: https://twitter.com/wenwei
Bryan Velasquez: TikTok: https://Tiktok.com/bboy8090 Facebook: https://facebook.com/bryantimothy Instagram: https://instagram.com/bryanbravado Youtube: https://youtube.com/bryanvelasquezz
Learn more about Aira and visual interpreting at http://aira.io.Episode Notes This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
October is full of updates here at Aira. Sandi Marcus gives us an update on Aira Points with Starbucks, https://aira.io/aira-points. You can register for our webinar, “Discovering Aira and Content Creation”, Tuesday, October 25 at 2:00pm Eastern time at https://aira.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g9O7k3RaR7mYYT1ODnm0cA. We want to hear your workplace story at http://bit.ly/airaworks. If your workplace wants to provide Aira for employees, contact us at access@aira.io. You can get started with our desktop beta at http://aira.io/desktop. Envision has a new email list primarily for the Envision glasses. You can subscribe at envision+subscribe@groups.io. You can subscribe to our email list at aira+subscribe@groups.io. Want to keep up to date? Subscribe to our RSS feed for all of our newsroom posts, including workplace stories at http://aira.io/feed.
Contact us: airacast@aira.ioEpisode Notes This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
In the first of our “Discovering” series, we talk with Diane Ducharme of Blind Shell USA about the features of the Blind Shell Classic 2 phone. You can get a demo of how to set up your Aira account at https://pnc.st/s/airacast/1cedaead/airacast-episode-43-welcome-to-aira. We’ll also talk about ways to use Aira for everything from shopping to navigating your world.Episode Notes
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In the first of our “Discovering” series, we talk with Diane Ducharme of Blind Shell USA about the features of the Blind Shell Classic 2 phone. You can get a demo of how to set up your Aira account at https://pnc.st/s/airacast/1cedaead/airacast-episode-43-welcome-to-aira. We’ll also talk about ways to use Aira for everything from shopping to navigating your world.Episode Notes
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In the first of our “Discovering” series, we talk with Diane Ducharme of Blind Shell USA about the features of the Blind Shell Classic 2 phone. You can get a demo of how to set up your Aira account at https://pnc.st/s/airacast/1cedaead/airacast-episode-43-welcome-to-aira. We’ll also talk about ways to use Aira for everything from shopping to navigating your world.Episode Notes
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During this month’s call, We covered quite a bit of ground:
Phones, Glasses and on your Desktop
- We invite you to try the Aira Desktop application, visit either aira.io/desktop for more information or go directly to the web-based application at explorer.aira.io.
Envision Glasses Promotion
- From now until October 31, 2022, you can receive a 10% discount on the purchase of new Envision Glasses by calling Aira Customer Care at 1-800-835-1934 from 6:00am - 6:00 pm Pacific time. And when you make your first call to an Aira Agent from your Envision Glasses, 200 minutes will be credited to your Aira Account.
Join us in acknowledging White Cane Awareness Day which takes place on Saturday, October 15th.
Any time during the month of October, post a photograph to any social channel of yourself with your white cane, your guide dog or simply by yourself and tag it with #OnMyTerms. At the end of the month, we will randomly pick someone who participates to receive a fantastic gift.Episode Notes Notes go here
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During this month’s call, We covered quite a bit of ground:
Phones, Glasses and on your Desktop
- We invite you to try the Aira Desktop application, visit either aira.io/desktop for more information or go directly to the web-based application at explorer.aira.io.
Envision Glasses Promotion
- From now until October 31, 2022, you can receive a 10% discount on the purchase of new Envision Glasses by calling Aira Customer Care at 1-800-835-1934 from 6:00am - 6:00 pm Pacific time. And when you make your first call to an Aira Agent from your Envision Glasses, 200 minutes will be credited to your Aira Account.
Join us in acknowledging White Cane Awareness Day which takes place on Saturday, October 15th.
Any time during the month of October, post a photograph to any social channel of yourself with your white cane, your guide dog or simply by yourself and tag it with #OnMyTerms. At the end of the month, we will randomly pick someone who participates to receive a fantastic gift.Episode Notes Notes go here
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
During this month’s call, We covered quite a bit of ground:
Phones, Glasses and on your Desktop
- We invite you to try the Aira Desktop application, visit either aira.io/desktop for more information or go directly to the web-based application at explorer.aira.io.
Envision Glasses Promotion
- From now until October 31, 2022, you can receive a 10% discount on the purchase of new Envision Glasses by calling Aira Customer Care at 1-800-835-1934 from 6:00am - 6:00 pm Pacific time. And when you make your first call to an Aira Agent from your Envision Glasses, 200 minutes will be credited to your Aira Account.
Join us in acknowledging White Cane Awareness Day which takes place on Saturday, October 15th.
Any time during the month of October, post a photograph to any social channel of yourself with your white cane, your guide dog or simply by yourself and tag it with #OnMyTerms. At the end of the month, we will randomly pick someone who participates to receive a fantastic gift.Episode Notes Notes go here
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
We’ve had a lot of new customers in the past month with the addition of Envision glasses and the Blind Shell Classic 2 phone. We’re taking it back to the basics in this episode with a guide to installation and calls on the Blind Shell. Join us for our monthly Explorer Call at https://aira.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2dcNNvGkQW6-2JLbBUN87A with guests from Envision to talk glasses.
We’ll also have a webinar series with Blind Shell USA. Register at https://aira.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g9O7k3RaR7mYYT1ODnm0cA This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
We’ve had a lot of new customers in the past month with the addition of Envision glasses and the Blind Shell Classic 2 phone. We’re taking it back to the basics in this episode with a guide to installation and calls on the Blind Shell. Join us for our monthly Explorer Call at https://aira.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2dcNNvGkQW6-2JLbBUN87A with guests from Envision to talk glasses.
We’ll also have a webinar series with Blind Shell USA. Register at https://aira.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g9O7k3RaR7mYYT1ODnm0cA This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
We’ve had a lot of new customers in the past month with the addition of Envision glasses and the Blind Shell Classic 2 phone. We’re taking it back to the basics in this episode with a guide to installation and calls on the Blind Shell. Join us for our monthly Explorer Call at https://aira.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2dcNNvGkQW6-2JLbBUN87A with guests from Envision to talk glasses.
We’ll also have a webinar series with Blind Shell USA. Register at https://aira.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g9O7k3RaR7mYYT1ODnm0cA This podcast is powered by Pinecast.
We have updates on Aira for Desktop which can be found and tested in our public beta at https://aira.io/desktop. Then we talk about plans and pricing for 2023, details at https://aira.io/newsroom.
Episode Notes Notes go here
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We have updates on Aira for Desktop which can be found and tested in our public beta at https://aira.io/desktop. Then we talk about plans and pricing for 2023, details at https://aira.io/newsroom. Episode Notes
Notes go here
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We continue our Aira Everywhere series with Aira for Desktop. Troy Otillio, Aira’s CEO, talks about the evolution of our app for PC and Mac and why the public beta process is so important. Then we have a demo of the app. If you want to join the public beta, fill out the form at https://aira.io/choice. Episode Notes
Notes go here
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Next in our Aira Everywhere series we talk with Diane Ducharme of Blind Shell USA about the Blind Shell Classic2, a tactile phone with many features for those who don’t want to use a touch screen. For more information about this phone, on which Aira will appear soon, go to http://blindshellusa.com. To find a dealer outside the US, go to http://blindshell.com/where-to-buy. You can subscribe to our update list for more news about the Blind Shell phone and more at https://aira.io/choice.
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We talk with Charles Leclercq, http://www.arx.vision about the new ARX Vision headset. For more on this headset you can also listen to episodes of Blind Guy Talks Tech with Steven Scott in your podcast player of choice. Sign up for info about Aira and ARX at https://aira.io/choice.
This month we welcome Anthony Carona and Gabriel Lopes Cafati of Blind Pride International http://blindlgbtpride.org in honor of Pride Month. We’ll also talk about Aira Points, https://aira.io/aira-points and more ways for you to get more Aira. Plus, our summer convention schedule.
Sevana Massih, Aira’s Vice President of Service Delivery, outlines her role in overseeing our agents and Customer Care Team. She also talks about her experiences using sign language interpreters and the parallels to visual interpreting . CEO Troy Otillio updates us on Aira for Desktop, then takes your questions.
The AIRA Access Network is comprised of businesses, transportation providers, government organizations and retail stores that cover the cost of our professional visual interpreters while using their services. TD Bank, and its on-line offering, TDbank.com recently became part of our network. This month we feature Steve Turley, Head of Consumer Distribution Strategy, Planning, and Innovation, to talk about the many ways they are innovating to meet customers’ expectations.
It’s a fireside chat this month live from the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference. Our panel includes Matt Ater from Vispero, Mike May from GoodMaps and Aira’s own CEO, Troy Otillio, plus Aira’s Head of IT, Ryan Bishop talking technology, accessibility and elevators.
This month we update our response to inaccessible Covid at-home test kits with a message from NFB President Mark Riccobono. Then we have big news for customers of the Texas Workforce Commission. Join Jenine Stanley, Ryan Bishop, Sandra Marcus and Aira CEO, Troy Otillio.
From a mind-reading smart speaker to some rogue clowns, Zeus in retirement and the heroic Budweiser Clydesdale, Jenine and Agent Tracy review this year’s Super Bowl commercials. Get ready and be afraid!
Granted, we did air this prior to the Super Bowl but now you can look back with a whole new perspective. Wondering what all those football terms mean and what the formations look like? Brian Fischler, Commissioner of the All Blind fantasy Football League and That Real Blind tech Show, and Liz Loza of Yahoo Sports bring you Football 101.
We start the year with a report from our CEO, Troy Otillio. Then we talk Covid rapid antigen home tests with tips for testing from https://aira.io/aira-covid-promotion. Finally it’s the big announcement about The Big Game!
This month we have two special guests. Product Manager Ryan Bishop updates us on the Aira Roadmap for 2022. Then we talk more Access Network partners for Oceania with CEO Troy Otillio. This podcast has chapter markers if your player supports them.
This month we hear about the new Priority Connect feature from CEO Troy Otillio. Then it’s an update from Agent Land with Joshua Flewellen. Ryan Bishop updates us on the Aira Roadmap and we take your questions and comments.
This month’s call features updates to the Aira web site and our Holiday Cheer promo, plus your calls and questions. Learn about how you can win prizes just by using Access Network offers at www.aira.io/access-promotions-overview.
We’re talking new Access Network partners including Connecticut, www.aira.io/stateofct. Plus great news for Spanish speakers with our new call routing feature.
We’re celebrating International Podcasting Day by featuring a segment from this summer’s convention with Agent Yami and her social media tips and tricks. Then we harness up with a review of the Action Chest Mount for hands-free Aira.
This month we’ll review some changes to our sign in policy, the Android update and a new public beta available in our app. Plus an extended chat with our Down Under explorers.
We’re joined this month by Bre Grand, Project Manager from Metro Transit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota to talk about their unique pilot program with Aira. Then we’ve got some big news for Spanish speakers plus updates and more.
This month we share some updates to our Terms Of Service. Then we introduce Aira Wallet. We’ve also got the agent-voted promo for you and we answer some great customer questions.
Content Warning: This podcast contains material of a sensitive nature. Emily Hill, director, Customer Experience, joins us to go over Aira’s terms of service found at www.aira.io/tos. Then Product Manager Ryan Bishop takes us through the Aira Roadmap. This podcast contains chapter markers for easy navigation.
Learn about Aira’s recent roadmap for the coming year with a new app and new features. We’ll also talk hands-free solutions and uses for visual interpreting. Plus, promos!
Aira CEO Troy Otillio, Product Manager Ryan Bishop and the Aira Engineering Team share future plans for our service over the next year and beyond.
The Aira Access Network makes it possible to use our service free when doing many tasks. We’ll explore how entities become part of the network and make some major announcements regarding new partners.
In this episode we bring you some news about our Covid Vaccine Promo. Then hear about our action-packed schedule at NFB21. Finally our agents tell you about their favorite calls.
Join us as a panel of explorers and Aira staff discuss the past year in relation to social justice and advocacy around the Black community. How did we feel? What did we do? What have we learned?
The June Explorer Call introduces one of our Development Team, talks about upcoming conventions and events for Aira and celebrates the history of Juneteenth.
This episode aired on April 30, 2021. The National Zoo is part of the Smithsonian Institution and this week we pay them a visit to check out pandas, elephants and more. Hey! Don’t forget the naked mole rats!
In honor of Memorial Day we visit the National Veterans Memorial and Museum with special guest, Paul Mimms and Agent Wendell Hennessey. This interactive museum shows us what Boot Camp is all about, lets people exchange dialog about veterans and the military and tells the story of the people behind the uniforms.
Mike Hudson, Director of the American Printing House Museum, http://aph.or/museum, takes us on a fascinating tour. We’ll learn about segregated schools for the blind and the evolution of the Braille writer and other artifacts. It’s a great touchstone to blindness history.
Happy Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2021! Join Jenine Stanley, Ryan Bishop and Aira CEO Troy Otillio and visit www.aira.io/global for info on Aira’s global expansion.
The Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum of New Zealand has extensive collections of all types. In this visit we’ll explore the Maori from native culture and dress to artifacts and foods.
This month we talk about promos. How to use the Covid Vaccine Promo, plus Agent-Voted promos and promo automatic limits. This week we also celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Week.
Community unites us all and in this episode we’ll share all the ways we bring Aira information to you from email to Clubhouse. The May Agent-Voted promo brings us together with some grub. Then we talk with the founders of the Blind social Center @TBSCGary about how they bring support to blind and low vision people in Gary, Indiana.
From creating lightning to exploring the human body and journeying through the stars, our Access Network partners at the Boston Museum of Science have a lot to share. We’ll visit the planetarium and other exhibits to show you just how visual interpreting works.
This month you’ll learn about why Uber integration was removed from our app. We’ll show you how to find our Access Partners. Then Ryan Bishop, our Product Manager, will take your questions along with Aira CEO Troy Otillio and Director of Customer Experience, Emily Hill.
It’s all about Jackie Robinson this week as we celebrate his life and career with a return to the Negro League Baseball Museum.
One of the most exciting events of 2021 was the landing of the Perseverance Rover on Mars. We’re joined by Denna Lambert, Michelle Thaller and David Gruel from NASA to explore the Red Planet and learn about the rover and Ingenuity copter. You can learn more and hear sounds from Mars at www.mars.nasa.gov.
Our First Families have had some very interesting pets. We’re joined by Andrew Hager, Historian in Residence with the Presidential Pet Museum to learn about the dog who caused an international incident with the French Ambassador, how a badger became a presidential pet, and so much more.
This month we’re proud to feature special guest Sevana Massih, Inclusion and Diversity Program Manager with Starbucks Coffee Company. She’ll tell us how the partnership with Aira came about as well as the history and unique customer base for the Signing Store in Washington DC.
What did you do in your kitchen for the March challenge? We’ll find out. Plus we’ll talk exercise equipment and give you a challenge for April.
We are very proud to share this week’s show with the CSUN Assistive Technology Conference virtual audience. A cavalry of agents show how Aira can enrich your navigation and on-line experience with zoos and animal-related information as we travel through the world-famous San Diego Zoo’s live cams. We’ll even answer the age-old question “What does the fox say?”
Join us to explore this new addition to the Nashville music scene tracing the history of music from spirituals to jazz and beyond.
Peggy Chong is known as The Blind History Lady. We’ll find out why and learn about some blind people of color in this episode. Check out her page and sign up for her newsletter at http://theblindhistorylady.com.
This month we catch up after the holidays to hear about what people did with aira on vacation. Emily introduces the Active Zone with a vegetarian meal challenge.
This month is jam packed with info. We learn about how to text our Customer Care Team. Aira will be at CSUN and Emily gives us tips on interacting with agents. Plus we take your questions.
Every month before our Explorer call we’ll enter the Aira Active Zone where our Active Program coaches talk with an agent about ways to use those minutes each month. This time around we’re talking kitchen appliances, gadgets and recipes. We’ve also got a challenge for you.
This week we take a look at Black History from another perspective, that of the Aborigines in Australia. Although they are the native people of that country, they have undergone many struggles for basic human and civil rights and take inspiration from the Civil Rights movement in the US. Jennifer Perry, an Aira Explorer from Sydney, Australia, joins us for some local viewpoints as we visit the National Museum of Australia’s Civil Rights exhibit.
We begin our journey through Black History Month with a visit to the Buffalo Soldiers Museum. What role did these soldiers play in the american West and why were they called “Buffalo Soldiers”? Find out as we visit https://www.buffalosoldiermuseum.com.
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is an engaging cultural attraction and human rights institution that connects the U.S. Civil Rights movement of the 1950s-1960s to the global human rights movements of today. Explore the stories of brave civil and human rights defenders who tapped their own power to bring about social change. http://civilandhumanrights.org
The Shedd Aquarium is one of the largest aquarium complexes in the US and an Aira Access Network partner. ExperienceDeveloper Ashleigh Braggs joins us to explore the many exhibits including dolphins, Beluga whales and sea otters.
You asked for it and finally you’ve got it in the latest iOS update. You can be notified when someone does an Aira Live session. Join us for this quick trip to learn how.
Celebrate Kwanza with Aira! We present Dr. Linda Humes with a look at this unique holiday. Dr. Linda H. Humes is the founder/Executive director of the not-for-profit, arts-in-education organization, Yaffa Cultural Arts, Inc., in New York City. Dr. Humes is currently an adjunct assistant professor at John Jay College in New York City and the education chair of the National Association of Black storytellers.
In this final episode for 2020 we go for the Gold with our special guest, Paralympian and Aira Explorer, Lex Gillette. Check out the many digital offerings at the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum and hear Lex’s story of what it’s really like to compete.
In our last Explorer Call of 2020, we start by asking, what the heck is Jenine wearing? Then Aira’s CEO Troy Otillio takes us through the year in review. We hear from Bahzad Ballout about the Aira Active program. Emily Hill brings us news of the Aira Customer Survey and Ryan Bishop has big news of his own to share.
Become an Aira Ninja, rate those calls and catch up on Aira News in this episode. We’ll also have a visit from the Aira Elves.
Emily Hill, Aira’s Director of Customer Experience, and Graham Innes of blind Citizens Australia bring you our December Explorer Call with a focus on the holidays. You’ll also learn about our Aira Active program.
We explore the digital collection in Part 2 of our trip to the American Jazz Museum. This collection of photos and stories highlights the museum’s rich history and that of the surrounding neighborhood. You can explore this content at www.americanjazzmuseum.org/ajmathome.
Jazz is the truly American sound. In this first of two visits to the American Jazz Museum, we look at the virtual tour as part of www.americanjazzmuseum.org/ajmathome. Thanks to Explorer Wayne Percy for this link to his contribution to jazz as well.
https://youtu.be/S1sJ9GF0Z3E
This month Ryan and Jenine are joined by Aira CEO Troy Otillio to discuss on-line shopping, give some updates on Starbucks and other Aira News and answer some excellent questions from our customers.
Part of the Smithsonian Institute, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is rich with collections just right for exploring with Aira. For our next two programs, we’ll take a look through these collections and other on-line content from the NMAAHC spotlighting music and sports. Host Stephanie Watts ventures through two aspects of American life that bring us together while telling the stories of the difficult path to get here.
Aira is pleased to share our first explorer call dedicated to those living in Australia, New Zealand and the Oceania region. Aira’s Director of Customer Experience, Emily Hill, joins Graham Innes of Blind citizens Australia to discuss all things Aira.
Baseball season may be over but we never get tired of learning about America’s game. Stephanie Watts, Paul Mimms and Paul Schroeder are joined in this episode by Ray Doswell, Vice President of Curatorial Services at the Negro League Baseball Museum. The Negro Leagues gave us not only a rich history but a direct path to baseball, and integrated sports as we know them today. You can check out this museum at www.nlbm.com.
In Part Two of our visit to the NMAAHC, we’ll continue our exploration of music and sports and their intersectionality. Join Stephanie Watts and our Aira Agents as we delve into the vast collections of this museum. .
Team Viewer and Team Viewer quick Support are the powerful screen sharing apps we use at Aira. In this expedition we’ll go over how to download, install and use the Team Viewer app for PC and Mac. Then it’s on to Quick support for your smart phone. Learn about how this app differs between and within mobile platforms. We also take your questions.
In this expedition we’ll trek through the wilds of formatting, observing documents and Power Point presentations in their native habitats, Stalking the elusive spreadsheet and even taming the deadly PDF form. We’ll explore how to work most efficiently with an agent while creating memorable material.
This month is full of big events and significance. Aira CEO Troy Otilio gives us some big news about Target and talks about how important the Starbucks test project is to Aira’s future. We also celebrate Disability Employment Awareness Month with agent Maia’s presentation on resumes. She’ll share how to prepare for your agent call and what to include in a modern resume.
In this special episode we welcome Dr. L. Penny Rosenblum, Director of Research at the American Foundation for the Blind. She and Paul Schroeder, Aira’s Senior Policy Advisor, will discuss the final report of the Flatten Inaccessibility survey, found at www.flatteninaccessibility.com. Dr. Rosenblum also tells us about upcoming AFB Town Hall meetings, details at www.afb.org. You can contact her about the survey at flatten_report@afb.org.
One of the most intimidating aspects of working with a mobile phone’s camera is knowing how to position it to capture the information you want. In this expedition Aira’s expert agent guides will walk you through how we explain positioning, the importance of lighting and how to capture that perfect photo. We’ll also show off some hands-free items for easier positioning, including a neck mount from https://harboltcompany.com/
In this episode we share the newest promos. Paul Schroeder talks with Jenine about voting and our Get Out The Vote offer. Then we learn all about the 10 +10 WayAround offer to help you organize your world.
We begin our second Expedition series with an introduction to Aira. We’ll review the Android and iOS versions of the Aira app and share some efficiency tips.
Aira is proud to bring you our Afternoon at the Museum series to explore this rich content with one of our highly trained agents. Host Stephanie Watts will be joined by Paul Mimms, Aira Explorer, veteran and someone who has lived the civil rights struggle on several levels. We bring you this presentation as part of our outreach and educational support of Black Lives Matter.
This month we discuss Aira’s Terms of Service, www.aira.io/tos with Joshua Flewellen, Agent Manager and Ryan Bishop. We also let our UK Explorers know about an opportunity to do a short video interview about their Aira use to help promote the service and Access locations in the UK.
September 2020 Explorer Call
This month we revisit, as we do several times per year, Aira’s terms of service, www.aira.io/tos, with Emily Hill, Director of Customer Experience. We also hear from CEO Troy Otillio about Aira’s progress since the changes to the Free 5-minute offer.
Despite the views of a segregated military and command, who did not think Black men were smart enough to handle the task of protecting our country, the Tuskegee Airmen exceeded expectations. Their acts of heroism embodied bravery, whether on the flight line or wherever deployed. Our host Stephanie Watts visits the Tuskegee Airmen National site Virtual Exhibit. https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/tuskegee_airmen/index.html
Through a smart phone app, Aira’s trained agents provide visual information about items like groceries, mail and other household and office products. WayAround tags work through NFC, a smart phone app and the WayLink device to provide a wide array of information to organize and identify just about anything. WayTags come in a variety of shapes and methods to attach to items. What can these two do together?
Jessica Hipp from WayAround will join Jenine Stanley, Emma Vincent and Ryan Bishop along with explorers and WayAround users Paul Parravano and Paul Mimms to demonstrate the power of an Aira Agent and a Way Tag to get yourself organized.
In this first episode we travel with host and Aira Explorer Stephanie Watts and Aira Agent Julia to the African American Museum of Iowa. Learn how Aira brings museums and on-line content to life for blind and low vision people. Also learn about free Aira at all members of the Association of African American Museums through the end of 2020.
These shortened podcasts give you tips and tricks to make the most of your Aira service.
In this episode we talk about getting organized, highlight the Message feature and tell you about your Explorer Folder.
This month we travel to Aira Agent Land with Agent Training Specialist Carla Cane and Agents James and Maddison. They’ll tell us what it takes to become an agent, all about the dashboard and secret Agent super powers, plus how you can make the most out of your calls. We’re also joined by Robin Spinks of RNIB and Aira CEO Troy Otilio.
We’re taking a trip to Agent Land this month with a very special panel. Carla Cane, Agent Training Specialist, and Agents Mark, Rob and Sarah join cohosts Ryan Bishop and Jenine Stanley to talk everything Aira Agent from training to the dashboard to tips on how to get the most from every call.
In the last of our initial Expedition series we take a look at the use of Aira in educational settings. Tour guides Emma Vincent, Tiffany Manosh and Hope Paulos are joined by Paul Schroeder, Director of Public Policy at Aira. Special guests for this expedition are Kate Katulak of Perkins School for the Blind and Leonard Moore of the California Department of Rehabilitation. We’ll discuss how to work with Aira to prepare for college and the many use cases at the college level for both physical and distance learning, including our Access partners, Vista Higher Learning and D2LBrightspace.
The world has changed due to COVID-19 and higher education institutions are no exception. On this special episode of Airacast we interview Veronica Lewis and Jessica Karim, both students who have incorporated Aira into their education tool box for everything from social distancing on a physical campus to on-line learning. Peter Bossley is the Deputy ADA Administrator with Ohio State University. He’ll tell us about what becoming an Aira Access location will mean to students in the coming year as well as how Ohio State made this decision.
Aira can be a powerful tool in both your job search and employment. This expedition starts with a look at how to get Aira through the vocational rehabilitation system with Stacy Cervenka and Paul Schroeder. We’ll tell you about our Job Seeker and Intuit Small Business promos. Then our tour guides, Tiffany Manosh, Hope Paulos and Stacie Gallegos with agent Emma Vincent take us through some workplace tasks and answer your questions.
Airacast proudly brings you the presentation of the Celebrating Access winners from our Youtube channel. This presentation was live on Monday, August 3, 2020 and features Jenine Stanley, Ryan Bishop and Aira’s CEO, Troy Otilio.
Whether it’s at a brick and mortar location or online, Aira is a powerful companion to your shopping. We’ll talk about strategies to maximize your time and effort in places like the grocery store. Then it’s on-line for examples of how Aira can efficiently get what you need and enhance your shopping experience.
Team Viewer and Team Viewer Quick support are screen sharing apps that allow your Aira agent to work with your computer or smart phone. We’ll show you how these apps work, tasks you can perform and limitations of the smart phone. Emma Vincent, Shay Duarte, Raul Gallegos and Tiffany Manosh join Ryan Bishop and Jenine Stanley to show how Team Viewer works with an agent on the PC, Mac, Android and iPhone. We also recommend Airacast Episode 22 It’s all about the teamwork.
Aira is excited to welcome our UK Explorers with this introductory call. We’re joined by CEO Troy Otilio, Kevin Phelan, Bailey Putney and Ryan Bishop who will all welcome our newest service area and tell you more about Aira. What’s an Aira Access location? What can I do with your service? How does it work for social distancing? We’ve got the answers.
This month we welcome our UK Explorers with CEO Troy Otilio. Bailey Putney joins us to show our new Social Distancing video and tell us about how to Jump Up our July! That’s not all. You’ll learn how to get the most from our AAAM offerings and more Aira news as well.
In this expedition we look at hands-free options for using Aira, especially when traveling. We’ll also cover using Aira while walking, on public transit, trains and in air travel. Tour guides on this journey include Jenine Stanley, Ryan Bishop, Tiffany Manosh, Stacie Gallegos and Emma Vincent.
Aira goes on Expedition with tour guides Tiffany Manosh, Hope Paulos, Emma Vincent, Ryan Bishop and Jenine Stanley. We’ll be touring the main purpose and features of the Aira App. How does it work? What can you do once you get your agent on the line? Please keep your hands inside the tour. Bus and get ready for this first in a series of Aira Expeditions!
The June Explorer Call features Aira CEO Troy Otillio with some information about our support of Black Lives Matter and anti-racism, plus news of a recent service interruption. Then we talk with Janet Dickelman, American Council of the Blind and Norma Crosby, National Federation of the Blind, about their 2020 virtual national conventions. Lots of other Aira happenings get reported as well so be ready to take notes.
As the world opens back up again, many of us are thinking about traveling, either around the neighborhood or by air. In this episode we talk with Pat Pound, Aira Explorer and Consultant with Open Doors Organization about navigating airports and air travel with some great tips. Emily Hill, Agent Operations Manager, talks about using Aira hands-free and in the Agent Spotlight it’s Gwen Ross.
Big news for our Australian Explorers with Ryan Bisop, Customer Account Manager, plus a new Access location. Next we talk with Emily Hill, Agent Operations Manager with updates from Agent Land. Paul Schroeder helps us celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2020. Then we talk social distancing with Aira.
This episode of Airacast features our explorer community talking about how they are coping with life during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then our Agent Spotlight shines on Marissa Callahan.
In this episode of Airacast we bring you the panel portion of the April 2020 Explorer Call. Erin Sanborn reviews Aira’s terms of service. Then CEO Troy Otillio talks about Aira’s response to COVID-19 and introduces Joshua Flewellen to share results from Aira’s initial COVID-19 survey. Finally Paul Schroeder highlights the recently completed Flatten Inaccessibility early survey results.
COVID-19 is on our minds of course and Emily Hill has a special update from Agent Land. Then it’s on to Android with Raul Gallegos. We go hands-free on this call with guests Bahzad Balout, and Eric Burton. Finally we hear from the Explorer Community. It’s a jam packed call!
We’ve packed a lot of information into this brief Explorer call. Learn about our new Access locations, like the Milwaukee County Transit system. Next we hear from a special guest about Aira’s future. Then we finish with “Secrets from Agent Land” with Erin Sandborn.
January 2020 marks Aira’s fifth birthday. Join us in our first Explorer Call of the year to hear from staff and explorers. What was Aira like in the beginning? What’s your favorite Aira experience?
Team Viewer and Team Viewer Quick Support are powerful tools you can use to allow an agent to view your screen. Our first episode of Airacast shows you how to get set up. You can find the PC or Mac version of Team Viewer at www.teamviewer.com. The iOS version we cover can be found in the iOS App Store.
Explorer Call, December, 2019
Our last Explorer Call of 2019 is packed with goodness. Emily Hill joins us to talk shopping promo and other things from the land of Aira Agents. Greg Stilson and Paul Schroeder update us on happenings at Aira as we move quickly toward 2020. Greg also asks for your input on Siri Shortcuts.
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Airacast Episode 21 Wide Angle Partnerships
You may have read that Aira now works with the multi-camera systems for the iPhone but did you know exactly what a cool thing that is? Find out in this episode as we speak with Greg Stilson, Vice President of Product. Then Amy Bernal focuses on different types of partnerships that ultimately give you a better Aira experience.
This special episode of Airacast features our 2019 Aira Credit gifting offer. Visit www.aira.io/gift-2019 for more details and to purchase Aira credit.
We’re going places this month on the Explorer Call as we welcome Paul Schroeder and Marty Watts. From airports to buses and subways, Aira’s got you covered. We’ll also talk about street crossings and hear from explorers.
Aira has updated our street crossing policy. Here how communication with agents has changed in this special episode.
Airacast Episode 19 Cast Your Vote
It’s election season in the United States and Aira’s Paul Schroeder discusses voting and other election activities. The Agent Spotlight shines on Sharisse Roberts. Then we continue our series about Aira in the workplace with Sarah Heesen of Beyond vision. Don’t miss the feature you’ve been asking for in the Aira app either, all on this episode!
October Explorer Call
Job Seeking with Joanne McIntyre
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month and Aira celebrates with our own Joanne McIntyre. Joanne has a long career in Human Resources and placement and brings us her talents with information on the steps of job seeking. We’ll talk about it all, from where to look for jobs to writing your resume and cover letter and getting that interview. You can see more of Joanne’s job seeker resources at www.aira.io/employment-webinar-series.
Airacast Episode 18 It’s Cool to Be Blind
October is a time to celebrate! In this episode we take a look at Disability Employment Awareness with Explorer Paul Merrell
. Greg Stilson, Vice President for Product and Danielle Toby, Product Designer here at Aira tell us about two exciting new features, integration with Blind Square and our Invite A Friend program. The Agent spotlight shines this time around on Mark Lawrence.
The Explorer Call for September, 2019 features Carolyn Edrington, Partner Development Specialist, Carolyn.edrington@aira.io, telling us about our outreach to state ACB and NFB conventions; Paul Schroeder, Vice President Public Policy, Paul@aira.io, will give us the 411 about some upcoming legislation that could effect Aira; and, Michael Hingson, Subject Matter Expert, Michael.hingson@aira.io, will talk about our Access Leads program. You’ll also learn about how to give a good Aira demo.
Airacast Episode 17 It’s A Small world
In this episode we get caught up on Aira News, including new features under our Free offer. We meet Explorer and Disney Legacy Award winner John Gassman and our Agent Spotlight shines on Shawn Welker.
The August Explorer Call comes to you this month as a remix of your questions and information about Aira’s new Free service. Jenine Stanley, Paul Schroeder and Ryan Bishop go over your questions and comments from our live call.