Colorado capitol building to offer free ASL translation

The Colorado Governor’s Office of Information Technology on Tuesday announced it’s expanding a pilot project with the Aira American Sign Language app, making the service available in the Colorado State Capitol building for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.

Visitors to the capitol building — which houses the state’s Senate, House of Representatives, Office of the Governor, Office of the Lieutenant Governor and Department of the Treasury — will each have access to a free, 30-minute Aira ASL on-demand session. The app connects users to a professional ASL interpreter, who can connect to their phone’s camera to assist them in translating.

The pilot project, which was funded through the state technology office’s technology accessibility program, is available at all 32 of the state’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation locations, 46 state workforce centers and 11 Colorado museums and historic sites.

The program builds on the state’s work with Aira Explorer, which kicked off the pilot in 2023. It provides residents with free access to Aira Explorer, a different app that offers live descriptions of surroundings to blind and low-vision users, to assist with navigating buildings, traversing staircases and communicating other directions. Maryland also offers Aira to its residents; it’s available on the Apple and Google app stores.

“One of the state’s top priorities is to be able to offer accessible and equitable services for everyone,” Colorado Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera said in a news release. “We’re always looking for innovative ways to help Coloradans with disabilities overcome barriers. Expanding this ASL on-demand pilot program will help bring members of the deaf community into the legislative process.”