United Airlines has launched the first U.S Braille-equipped set of aircraft with the aim of catering to its customers with visual disabilities, and has divulged plans to thus equip its entire mainline fleet by the end of 2026.
The said aircraft, about twelve (12) in number, bear Braille markings for rows and seat numbers, including inside and outside the lavatories.
Linda Jojo who is the Executive Vice President, Chief Customer Officer for United explained the reason for this upgrade: “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 so 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”, she said.
In addition to the functional upgrade, United has spruced up its mobile app to include other functions that will benefit its disabled clients and employees such as text-to-speech controls, colour correction, high contrast text etc.
The innovative upgrades have contributed to the airline bagging the award for Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion for the 8th time, and for also scoring high on the Disability Equality Index benchmarking tool by the American Association of People with Disabilities in conjunction with Disability:IN.
The President of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), Mark Riccobono, has applauded United for the strides taken to make its aircraft more accessible to blind passengers. He noted that having in-flight information only on printed material greatly adds to the frustration of special-needs passengers, reason why the upgrades are a welcome development. He expressed his hope in a continuous partnership between the airline and NFB in order to explore more innovative ways to better the flying experience of passengers with disabilities.
As part of United Airline’s growth plan, United Next, the airline is looking to take delivery of about 700 fresh narrow and wide-body jets with the most up-to-date seatback screen entertainment options by the close of 2032.
Featured image credit: istockphotos
