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Wegmans provides a new app to help shoppers who are blind or have low-vision

Aira/Wegmans

Wegmans is partnering with a high-tech company to offer a new option for people who are blind or have low-vision.

The Rochester supermarket chain is working with a California-based tech company called Aira, a firm that uses artificial intelligence and augmented reality to remotely assist people who are blind or have low vision with a variety of tasks.

The way it works is, the shopper downloads the Aira app on their smartphone, and when they go into a Wegmans store, they can connect with a trained professional who can provide help using live-video from the shopper’s smartphone as well as other information.

It will help the consumer do things like find specific items and identify the shortest checkout lines.

It’s a free service that will be available in any Wegmans location. 

Linda Lovejoy is community relations manager for Wegmans. She says this latest service reflects Wegmans' overall goals.

“We’re always trying to look for better ways to make the store more accessible to all of our customers; this new service that we’re going to offer is going to make it so much easier for blind and low-vision customers to shop.”

This is a video explaining the new app from Wegmans and Aira:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-RIVdshCAU

This story is reported from WXXI’s Inclusion Desk

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.