United Airlines to add Braille to plane interiors
By Lilit Marcus, CNN
(CNN) — United Airlines will put Braille throughout its plane interiors in order to support customers who are blind or have visual disabilities, becoming the first US airline to do so.
The airline announced the news in a press release on Thursday, July 27. July is Disability Pride Month in the United States.
“By adding more tactile signage throughout our interiors, we’re making the flying experience more inclusive and accessible, and that’s good for everyone,” Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Officer for United, said in a statement.
“Finding your seat on a plane or getting to the restroom is something most of us take for granted, but for millions of our customers, it can be a challenge to do independently.”
Braille will be used to indicate aisle and seat numbers and the location of lavatories, according to United.
In addition, the airline is working with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the American Council of the Blind (ACB) on other ways to support blind and visually disabled passengers on board.
“United is taking additional steps to create an accessible airline passenger experience through Braille signage,” ACB Interim Executive Director Dan Spoone said in a statement.
“We appreciate the airline’s continued exploration of additional in-flight navigational aids like large print and tactile indicators, and we encourage all airlines to follow United’s lead in making air travel more inclusive for the blind and low vision community.”
It’s not just planes themselves that are becoming more disability-friendly. United’s app was recently updated to make it easier for screen-reading programs to understand.
Braille is named for its creator, blind Frenchman Louis Braille. He invented the language, which uses raised dots, in 1824.
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