The COVID-19 pandemic has required our agency to shift all agency operations to assure that we are able to deliver the communication access to Deaf and hard of hearing Albertans.

Our role has been prioritized so those who are most vulnerable during this pandemic such as Deaf Seniors are able to access communications from all levels of government, from essential service providers like police, fire or emergency management) and work directly with these officials so they are very conscious of the accessible communication needs Deaf and hard hearing Albertans.

We are one of only a handful of agencies that are providing specially trained American Sign Language Interpreters and ASL interpreting services to all levels of Government so they can reach the thousands of Deaf and hard of hearing Albertans that use ASL as their first language and need access to ASL interpreting so they too can understand the information coming from all levels of government (Municipal, Provincial and Federal) providing public updates on the COVID 19 pandemic.

It’s important to note that the most crucial of the COVID-19 pandemic information is not readily provided in American Sign Language. Providing access to our specialized information services for home bound people has been vital in keeping Deaf and hard of hearing Albertans safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.