MADISON COUNTY — On Oct. 3, AURORA of Central New York partnered with the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority to present the first Blind Immersion Experience at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport in recognition of World Blindness Awareness Month.

AURORA of CNY is a Syracuse-based non-profit dedicated to promoting independence, opportunity, and full access for people of all ages who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, and hard of hearing.

Participants in the Blind Immersion Experience navigated the Syracuse airport — a national leader in accessibility — using blindfolds or sensory goggles to simulate the experience of blind or visually impaired travelers.

“Using a white cane, you’ll walk in the shoes of those we serve, experiencing travel as someone blind would, utilizing sighted guides as you navigate the airport’s concourse,” AURORA Media Relations Chair Ken Reger explained leading up to the event.

Participants traveled from the airport conference room to the check-in counter, where they presented mock airline boarding passes to the ticket agents. They then proceeded to a bathroom, up an escalator, down an elevator, and back to the starting point.

In addition to their sighted guides, participants were joined on their journeys by several blind individuals, some of whom demonstrated how they use assistive technologies to help with independent navigation.

One such tool is a smartphone app that connects blind or low-vision users with a live visual interpreter who can help with tasks like finding a gate. The agent uses the video stream from the phone’s camera, GPS, and other web data to verbally describe visual information.

Event attendees also learned about other services available to blind and low-vision travelers at Syracuse Hancock International Airport, including the Hidden Disability Sunflower Lanyards program, which trains airport employees to offer extra support, time, and understanding to individuals wearing sunflower lanyards. Passengers can also arrange for assistance through the airport communications center or the airport security officers outside at the curbline.

“It is truly baked into our mission, vision, and value statement that accessibility is a priority,” said Matt Szwejbka of the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority. “Yes, of course, there are federal regulations that go along with being [a] partially government-funded entity, but we want to do better than that. Let’s be blunt; we want to be best in class in a variety of disciplines, including accessibility. We want everybody to have the best experience they possibly can in our airport. . . . It doesn’t happen without stakeholder engagement like this, so thank you to each and every one of you for being here today.”

The immersion experience was followed by a roundtable discussion with the participants, blind attendees, AURORA and Syracuse Regional Airport Authority representatives, and the media.

AURORA Deputy Executive Director Kate Weidman concluded the event by encouraging everyone to consider ways to enhance accessibility in environments beyond the airport, such as the workplace.

“What tools and what assistive technology can we have in place to help folks?” she said. “Because everyone is going to travel, it’s just that they do it in a different way.”

She added that she hopes the Blind Immersion Experience will be established as an annual event.

AURORA of CNY aims to provide high-quality services geared toward helping individuals achieve their fullest potential and participation in society; advocating for the elimination of barriers and attitudes that hinder this participation; empowering and promoting the rights of people with disabilities; educating all citizens on the causes and treatment of vision and hearing loss; and organizing resources necessary to support those efforts.

The community-based agency offers specialized in-home and center-based services, and it works collaboratively with other networks and service providers to address the whole health of the people it serves.

“AURORA of CNY provides programs and services for all consumers identified by the NYS Commission for the Blind in Onondaga, Cayuga, and Oswego Counties; however, anyone beginning their vision or hearing loss journey in the surrounding areas, including Madison County, is encouraged to call our office at 315-422-7263 or contact us through our website,” said Reger, who resides in Cazenovia.

Reger first got involved with the organization in the early 2000s when searching for assistance for his father, who was struggling with macular degeneration.

“His vision was very poor, and he was having difficulty living independently, losing his ability to drive, to read, to cook, and all those things he had taken for granted before this disease took hold,” Reger said. “As his caregiver, I looked all around to see what services were available and was stymied until someone suggested I call AURORA. The very next day after contacting them, they sent a home specialist to visit him in his apartment, and she carefully observed the way he was living his life with his limited vision. The following day, she returned and brought magnifying glasses and special lenses with back-lighting, bright floor lamps that were placed near his favorite chair and his bed, [and] several other devices. [She also] worked with him to ensure he could use all the adaptive aids she had given him. He was moved to tears, and her assistance made a huge difference in his life going forward.”

Reger, who had 15-plus years of experience working with the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association as a professional fundraiser and management executive, was so impressed by AURORA’s services that he offered to volunteer in any capacity that might be useful.

“[I] gave her my phone number, [and] before I could return home, I had a call from Deb Chaiken, the executive director of AURORA, asking me to come on the board,” Reger said. “I’ve been volunteering for them in many different roles ever since and, believe it or not, will become the president of the board effective January 2025. They are one the best, most effective, well-managed, mission-driven organizations I have ever been associated with, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with them as a volunteer over all these years.”

AURORA of CNY is always looking for additional volunteers.

According to Reger, the organization is currently seeking people to serve on its board, provide transportation to blind or low-vision individuals, assist with programs and activities, help with fundraising events, and get the word out about what Weidman describes as “The best-kept secret in CNY.”

“Based upon my personal experience, it is incredibly heartwarming and rewarding to be involved with so many other volunteers and staff who are truly helping to change the lives of those in need here where we live,” said Reger.

For more information on AURORA of CNY and its services, visit auroraofcny.org.