The app connects deaf people to the emergency services through a video call with a British Sign Language interpreter.
Vodafone has launched access to the 999 BSL (British Sign Language) Emergency Video Relay Service. This follows hot on the heels of its innovative 5G-enabled haptic suits that allow deaf and hard-of-hearing music fans to experience live music like never before.
Vodafone 5G gives deaf and hard-of-hearing fans a first-of-its-kind live music experience
The wearable tech lets fans feel the music through vibrations, delivered by 24 touch-points around the suit, to provide a multi-sensory experience.
Where deaf users once had to rely on text to communicate with the emergency services, 999BSL offers a video connection to a BSL interpreter.
For BSL users, it provides a simple way to contact the emergency services. The service is free of charge and doesn’t require users to register.
By using the 999 BSL app or 999 BSL website, deaf people can make an emergency video call in British Sign Language. The service connects the user to a BSL interpreter who will appear on the screen.
The interpreter voices what the deaf person says to the emergency operator and also relays in sign language what the hearing operator says in near real time. The interpreter will then make a subsequent voice call to the emergency services on behalf of the user.
The service can also be used to receive return calls from the emergency authorities.
Resources
999 BSL website
999 BSL video demonstration
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