Inside Great American Ball Park, a blind fan holds up his phone so a remote interpreter can see the steps ahead of him, the crowd around him and the gate he needs to find. It's part of a new program at the 45,000-seat stadium that lets fans with visual or hearing impairments experience Reds games with a level of independence many say they've never had before.
A Free Service Inside the Gates
The app is called Aira, and as reported by WKRC, it's normally a subscription service that provides visual interpreting to blind and low-vision users. Inside the ballpark, however, it's free. Fans point their phone cameras at their surroundings, and a live human interpreter on the other end describes what's in front of them, guiding them past obstacles and up staircases.
Cincinnati resident Tim Smith is one of the fans who has used the service at games. He told the station he used his phone to let an Aira interpreter see where he was going, and the interpreter helped him identify obstacles and led him up steps he otherwise would have needed help navigating. Smith said he normally avoids walking alone in crowded environments, but the assistance made navigating the ballpark possible and gave him the confidence to attend games by himself.
Built for Deaf Fans Too
Aira doesn't stop at visual interpreting. The service also serves people with hearing impairments, giving deaf users access to an on-demand sign language interpreter through the same app. Aira interpreter Jenna Goans said deaf users can obtain an interpreter simply by clicking a button, connecting them instantly so they can communicate with ticket offices, restaurants and anyone else inside the park.
That kind of instant access reflects a broader shift happening at Great American Ball Park. According to MLB.com, the Cincinnati Reds became the first Major League Baseball team in 2026 to offer both Aira Explorer and Aira ASL free of charge to fans inside the stadium. The ballpark also hosted a dedicated Deaf Night on August 1, organized by Aira team members and partners including the Deaf Center, St. Rita School of the Deaf, Ohio Valley Voices and local Hands and Voice chapters.
Local Leadership Behind the Push
Jeff Wissel, who lives with retinitis pigmentosa and uses Meta glasses paired with Aira for visual interpreting, said the service allows people to attend and participate in games — and that he can navigate Great American Ball Park independently because of it. The Meta glasses connect him to Aira interpreters who help him navigate in real time, he said.
Wissel was named Aira's Vice President of Accessibility in July 2026 after a four-year tenure as Chief Accessibility Officer at Disability:IN and a 28-year career at Fidelity Investments, according to Aira. He said Aira enables people to participate in games rather than simply attend them. Aira Tech Corp. was founded in 2015 to assist blind and low-vision individuals, later expanding in 2024 to establish Aira ASL for the Deaf community to access audio information.
How the Free Access Works
Aira is used in airports, while subscribers typically pay monthly fees for private minute packages.
Part of a Wider National Pattern
Airports, museums and universities have also partnered with Aira, according to WKRC's reporting.
For fans like Smith, though, the difference shows up in something simpler: being able to walk into a ballpark, find a seat, and watch a game without needing someone to hold his arm the whole way there.
