You can feel it from the moment you walk through the doors—Target’s overflowing with joy this holiday season. From festive décor and gorgeous gifting displays to plenty of ways to shop and save, our team’s working tirelessly to make the shopping experience fun, easy and inspiring for all of our guests. And now, just in time for the holidays, we’re making a Target run easier—and more joyful—for blind and low-vision guests across the country.
Say hello to Aira, a tool that connects blind and low-vision guests with trained agents who act as visual interpreters. Following a successful pilot, we expanded the service to approximately 600 Target stores across the U.S. free-of-charge as of Nov. 1, so even more guests can enjoy the full Target experience on their own terms. It’s all a part of Target's goal of creating inclusive experiences for all guests.
How does it work?
It’s as easy as a phone call. Listen in as Steve Decker, a lead consultant on Target’s accessibility team—who’s blind himself—demonstrates during a recent Target run.
It’s just one way we’re making Target more accessible…
Our partnership with Aira allows us to make a real difference in blind and low-vision guests’ shopping experience, but it’s also building on Target’s journey to create a deep foundation of accessibility. At the heart of it all is our accessibility team, including Steve and others at our headquarters in the U.S. and India. The team couples their diverse backgrounds along with their own experiences with disabilities to champion accessibility in our stores and online.
Whether they’re working on guest-focused partnerships like Aira, consulting on digital platforms (like Target’s corporate site) or making enhancements to internal systems to make it easier for team members to do their jobs, the team goes above and beyond to ensure the best Target experience for all.
“Each day, I have an incredible opportunity to help make Target even more welcoming and inclusive,” says Steve. “I get to turn my personal experiences into solutions that not only make daily tasks easier, but bring a little extra everyday joy to even more guests, no matter how they shop.”
Ready to get started?
Aira services are now available at Target stores in 13 major markets, including Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Houston, Denver, Baltimore, Austin, Washington D.C. and the San Francisco-Bay Area. Once in an Aira-enabled store, guests can use their smartphone or Aira smart glasses to access the app.
The best part? Whether guests are making a quick stop for essentials or browsing for great finds, Aira is available free-of-charge as long as guests are in the store, with no limit on call time. And as always, our team members are also available to assist guests that may need additional help shopping.
Head on over to aira.io/target to learn more. Here’s to an enjoyable Target Run—your way—this holiday and beyond.
Editor’s note: As of February 2020, Aira is now available at all Target stores nationwide.
