Checking in and finding your way around the hotel, adjusting the room temperature or using the coffee machine, going from one meeting room to another: what seems simple to the average traveller is a whole lot of work. challenges for those without sightThe main disadvantages. Hence the Hilton Group's desire, through its announced partnership with the free mobile application Be My Eyesto help them make their stays more seamless at Waldorf Astoria, Conrad, DoubleTree and Hampton by Hilton establishments in the United States and Canada, among others.
In practice, users of the Be My Eyes app will first need to select the Hotels category, then choose a participating Hilton brand, before being connected to a dedicated support team. After starting work last year with Be My Eye to train artificial intelligence to better recognise objects in rooms, this partnership now extends to telephone assistance, with a specialist team of reservations and customer relations agents trained by Hilton to meet the specific needs of visually impaired travellers.
" Our mission is to reducing barriers to accessibility in everyday life, and this partnership with Hilton represents a major step forward in making travel and hospitality more inclusive." said Mike Buckley, CEO of Be My Eyes. " Every customer deserves a reliable and friendly travel experience" says Mike Gathright, Hilton's Senior Vice President of Customer Excellence and Innovation.
Also in the United States, United Airlines has set about improving the accessibility of its aircraft. The company has become a partner of the United Spinal Association, which represents several million Americans in wheelchairs, to gather their advice on how to improve the accessibility of its aircraft. enhancing the customer experience for people with reduced mobility. " This partnership demonstrates that accessible travel is a reality, and every step we take brings us closer to a more inclusive travel experience for people with disabilities." said Vincenzo Piscopo, CEO and Chairman of United Spinal Association.
Even before this partnership, United Airlines launched a new digital feature in March to help travellers identify the aircraft that can accommodate a wheelchair according to its dimensions. More than 20,000 customers have been able to find the most suitable aircraft, with customers also being able to request a refund of the price difference if they have to pay more for a flight that can accommodate their wheelchair. Among other initiatives, the airline has also equipped its ramp agents with technology to indicate the presence of a wheelchair on board a flight, which also prevents them from closing a flight until all the wheelchairs have been loaded onto the aircraft.
" We look forward to working with United Spinal to explore even more impactful solutions." said David Kinzelman, Chief Customer Officer at United. At the same time, the American carrier is looking for solutions to other disabilities. Last year, for example, United became the first US airline to add Braille to the interior of its aircraft. to help visually impaired travellers move around the cab more easilyAll of its mainline fleet is to be equipped with this solution by the end of 2026. All this is in addition to a mobile application that is easier to use thanks to increased colour contrast and a reorganisation of the display and information announcements to better integrate with screen-reading technologies such as VoiceOver and TalkBack.
