DENVER - The Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) is thrilled to announce Aira’s Colorado Free Access Day on Monday, Feb. 12, a day of no-cost access to the new Aira Explorer mobile app statewide. Aira is a visual interpreting service that provides live, on-demand access to visual information through human-to-human professional assistance.
Colorado Free Access Day is in conjunction with the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado’s Day at the Capitol, where the group will meet with members of the general assembly to highlight efforts to protect services for the deaf-blind, raise awareness about challenges faced by people who are blind or low-vision, and advocate for legislative initiatives that promote a more inclusive and accessible Colorado for all.
“Colorado is a national leader when it comes to disability advocacy and rights,” said Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera. “We are committed to finding more ways to make government more equitable, from physical building access, web accessibility, and addressing barriers to voting and becoming elected for public office.”
The State of Colorado partnered with Aira and launched in February 2023 offering free 30-minute sessions to anyone navigating state-operated locations and services, both physical and digital. These include state government buildings, state parks, state colleges and universities, and state-run websites and web applications (URLs that include colorado.gov and state.co.us). Through Aira, a user’s smartphone camera streams secure, live video to a professionally trained agent who visually interprets what is shared.
“Accessibility plays a critical role in achieving OIT’s mission to provide secure digital services that put Coloradans first,” OIT Chief Information Officer & Executive Director David Edinger explained. “The State of Colorado is always looking for ways we can leverage technology to increase access and reduce barriers to receiving government services, and a visual interpreting service is one of the ways we can accomplish this.”
On Colorado Free Access Day, Aira is free all day to all people who are blind or low-vision, for any purpose, from anywhere in the state. The duration of each call is 30 minutes, but users may call back for another session immediately. To participate in the promotion, follow these steps:
- Make sure the Aira Explorer app is downloaded on your smartphone as the old version of Aira is obsolete. Download via the Apple App Store or Google Play.
- Register for a free account, if you have not done so already.
- Go to Browse Access Offers, then choose Promotions & Partners: Task and situation based calls.
- Tap Colorado Free Access Day (promotion will not appear until Monday, Feb. 12).
Learn more about Aira by watching this video featuring Lt. Gov. Primavera and OIT’s Solutions Architect of Accessibility, Theresa Montano.