An app-based, free-to-use American Sign Language interpreter program first deployed at Colorado Department of Labor and Employment offices in April is now available at all 11 History Colorado museums.
And soon, it could come online at countless other state-funded reception desks, offices and tourist destinations, according to Governor’s Office of Information Technology Communications Manager Kelly Tabor.
“If and when this becomes a statewide thing, you can use it at the DMV, you can use it for all Department of Revenue, any frontline, front-facing public agencies where anyone would do state business,” she said. “The plan is to have this become permanent, (and) have it be for any state of Colorado business, whether it’s physical, digital, or if you’re trying to fill out a form at home.”
The app, Aira ASL, allows users to connect with professional ASL interpreters over an internet connection, who in turn can translate sign language for individuals who use it when speaking to museum staff. The service is free for the remainder of a pilot program, although Tabor said the state was negotiating on a price to make it more widely and permanently available in the near future.
Once connected, users can stay on a video call with a translator for up to 30 minutes, free of charge. Tabor said they could also start a new call at no cost, as many times as needed, if their time runs out.
Limited to specific locations for the moment, Tabor expects Aira ASL would become available statewide if expanded to encompass other government business. She also noted that current locations for the program typically have public wifi readily available, meaning users don’t need especially high-end mobile data plans to access the app there.
As the pilot project continues, it’s already seeing repeated use for some Coloradans. State data shows the app’s been accessed 90 times by 23 people since the pilot project got off the ground in April, with Tabor adding that it was a “very turnkey” system requiring no training for public-facing staff and little complexity for Coloradans who use it.
“It may not seem to be a big, impactful number, but that’s often not the focus with accessibility accommodations,” she said. “Rather, we focus on what’s the right thing to do to give all Coloradans an equitable experience. Also, the takeaway we recognize in that data is that those 23 users found the service so valuable that they returned to it multiple times, which is great to see.”
As the third-most commonly used language in the U.S., ASL is the primary means of communication for numerous Coloradans, but it can be difficult to translate for others not fluent in the language preferred by many who are deaf, or hard of hearing. State officials say they hope the current pilot project helps overcome those communication barriers.
“This pilot isn’t just about technology — it’s about equity and accessibility,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera, in a press release about the program’s expansion into 11 history museums last month. “This partnership is a smart, forward-thinking solution that makes our services more inclusive, and I’m proud to see Colorado leading the way in using innovation to make government work for everyone.”