United Airlines has become the first U.S. airline to add Braille to aircraft interior cabins, helping millions of travelers with visual disabilities to navigate the cabin independently. A dozen aircraft have been outfitted, and the entire mainline fleet will feature Braille by 2026.
On Thursday (July 27, 2023), United Airlines announced that they have become the first U.S. carrier to add Braille to aircraft cabin interiors, which will allow millions of visually impaired travelers to navigate the cabin independently. Currently, a dozen aircraft have been equipped with Braille, and United’s entire mainline fleet will be outfitted by the end of 2026. In addition to Braille, the airline is working with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and other disability advocacy groups to explore the use of other tactile navigational aids throughout the cabin such as raised letters, numbers and arrows.
In Thursday’s announcement, United Airlines’ EVP and Chief Customer Officer, Linda Jojo, said,
“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.”
Also commenting on the onboard enhancements, NFB’s President, Mark Riccobono, said,
“We applaud United for taking an important step toward making its aircraft more accessible to blind passengers. The flight experience is often frustrating for a number of reasons, one of which is the amount of information that is available exclusively through printed signs and other visual indicators. We hope to continue working with United to explore additional ways to make flying more accessible and less stressful for blind passengers.”
ACB’s Interim Director, Dan Spoone, added,
“United is taking additional steps to create an accessible airline passenger experience through braille signage. 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.”
At United Airlines, ‘Good Leads the Way.’ The airline operates the most comprehensive network among North American carriers with U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. As measured by available seat miles (ASMs), United is now the world’s largest airline. Shares in the company’s parent, United Airlines Holdings, Inc., are publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol ‘UAL.’
Source: United Airlines/PRNewswire