United has become the first airline in the US to add Braille to aircraft interiors. The Department of Transportation reported about 27 million people with disabilities have travelled by air in 2019.
A dozen aircraft have been equipped with Braille markings for individual rows and seat numbers as well as inside and outside the lavatories. United expects to outfit its entire mainline fleet with Braille by the end of 2026.
United is working with the National Federation of the Blind, the American Council of the Blind and the disability advocacy groups to explore the use of other tactile, navigational aids throughout the cabin such as raised letters, numbers and arrows.
“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. 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
The rollout of Braille to mainline aircraft over the next few years is the latest way United has worked to create accessible solutions for its customers and employees.
United recently redesigned the United mobile app to make it easier for people with visual disabilities easier to use with increased colour contrast, more space between graphics, and reordering how information is displayed and announced to better integrate with the screen reader technologies like VoiceOver and TalkBack.
Accessible features are also available on United’s Inflight Seatback Entertainment screens. They include closed captioning, text-to-speech controls, magnification, explore-by-touch controls, audio-described movies, and adjustable and high-contrast text and colour correction.
United’s Business Resource Group for people of all abilities help create a workplace environment help create a workplace environment for employees to achieve their maximum potential. United has a long-standing partnership with Special Olympics providing employment opportunities to athletes through the Special Olympics Service Ambassador Programme. The airline also supports Special Olympics through volunteerism, fundraising and travel support to attend national and international competitions.
The airline has been recognised as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion fro the eighth-straight year. It has earned a top score on the Disability Equality Index and earned a top score on the Disability Equality Index benchmarking tool, a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities and Disability:IN, to advance the inclusion of people with disabilities.
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