Colorado job centers get free app for hard-of-hearing visitors

Visitors to Colorado’s workforce and vocational rehabilitation centers can now gain free access to an app that translates American Sign Language, the state’s labor department announced Monday.

Thanks to a pilot program running through July, deaf and hard-of-hearing residents can connect with professional interpreters through the Aira ASL app. Funded by a technology accessibility program at the Governor’s Office of Information Technology, users are allowed free 30-minute interpreter sessions through the app.

“When I worked in vocational rehabilitation, we dreamed of tools like this — innovations that could break down communication barriers instantly and open doors to opportunity,” Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera said in a press release. “This pilot isn’t just about technology — it’s about equity and accessibility.”

The program builds on a 2023 project in Colorado that provides free access to another Aira app that offers live descriptions of surroundings to blind and low-vision users. Maryland also offers Aira to its residents.

Accessibility has been a growing concern among state technology offices in recent years. In 2023, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers published a brief advocating for the creation of digital accessibility coordinator roles. The group found that 15 states already had such a role, including Maine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Texas.

“Simply put, it’s the right thing to do,” Kathryn Michener, New Hampshire’s director of user experience, said in the NASCIO report. “When we develop content for groups that are or have historically been overlooked, we improve services for everyone. Creating equitable government services shouldn’t be an afterthought, it should be a motivation for innovation and improvement.”