On a Wednesday morning in a Walmart Store in Allen, Texas, her white cane and smartphone in tow, Paula Margeson walks alone. She’s reclaiming a freedom many of us take for granted: shopping for groceries.
Paula, who has been entirely blind for more than 30 years, is accustomed to the many hurdles that come with being part of the blind and low vision community.
Now, helping her over those hurdles is Walmart’s new pilot program and partnership with Aira, a mobile application that connects members of the blind and low vision community with sighted interpreters, who communicate visual information in real time. Using remote access to a phone camera or piece of wearable tech, Aira interpreters act as eyes inside the store.
As it continues to bolster accessibility, Walmart is now offering the wayfinding service entirely free to customers.
“I think the thing they’re going to gain the most from our partnership is this demonstration to the world that Walmart and Aira really do think about the customers they serve,” said Everette Bacon, the chief of blindness initiatives at Aira, who is blind himself. “That’s a testament to the kind of service Walmart has provided for years and wants to continue to lead on.”
Doing something new
For Paula, one promise of using a visual interpreter lies in reclaiming the element of surprise. Gifting, once a community affair, is getting personal again.
“Every year when I want to go Christmas shopping for my husband, I have to ask someone to take me. I always felt like I was imposing on my friends or family,” Paula said. “I am really excited to shop for my husband’s Christmas present this year – all by myself – for the very first time!”
To members of the blind and low vision community, a more accessible Walmart store means new opportunities entirely. The professional visual interpreters Aira employs are trained to offer objective feedback, leaving the user completely in control of their own choices. And because Aira is offered for free at Walmart and on Walmart.com, there’s no time limit on users as they ask questions to understand what quippy message might be printed on a birthday card, or if the blue tie they’re holding is closer to teal or cerulean.
Aira offers a way around something Everette and Paula called an otherwise necessary imposition on others.
“Not having to depend on someone, and take them away from their job duties, or ask a friend or family member, just to do this on my own time and on my own terms – it’s very freeing,” Everette explained.
A more accessible store for all
Gayatri Agnew is the head of Walmart’s Accessibility Center of Excellence. Part of her job is ensuring Walmart – whether online or in an aisle – is somewhere people with disabilities want to shop. And progress is coming quickly.
Since 2023, she explained, the company has introduced or piloted a host of programs aimed at fulfilling the center’s mission. From the launch of sensory friendly shopping hours across our entire fleet of stores, expanding our adaptive product lines, to the introduction of Caroline’s Carts and now a pilot and partnership to offer Aira at no cost to customers, Walmart is placing the needs of its customers with disabilities at the very center of its strategy.
“The reality is, we have tons of shoppers with disabilities who we want to make sure are having as good, if not better, of a shopping experience with us as someone who doesn’t have a disability,” Gayatri said.
At the core of that goal is ensuring all Walmart customers feel like they belong. That means no matter how or where they want to shop, from their local store to Walmart.com, an option exists that empowers and enables them.
After all, shopping should be for everyone.
