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CSD Launches New ASL Accessible COVID-19 Hotline in Austin, Texas

April 26, 2022

CSD Launches New ASL Accessible COVID-19 Hotline in Austin, Texas

April 26, 2022
April 26, 2022

Free Hotline Connects Austin Deaf Community Seeking COVID-19 Information, Such As Testing and Vaccine Locations, with Agents Who Are Fluent in American Sign Language.

April 26, 2022, Austin, TX – Communication Service for the Deaf has launched an American Sign Language-based COVID-19 information hotline in the City of Austin, Texas. This hotline gives the approximately 4 million Texans who are Deaf or hard of hearing access to the latest coronavirus health information and guidelines in their native language, American Sign Language (ASL). The hotline is available online at CSD’s Austin COVID Information website or through videophone.

The Austin ASL Now Hotline, powered by CSD’s ASL Now division, is staffed by a team of Deaf agents who are fluent in ASL and trained to provide Austinites with the most up-to-date health information and guidelines in their geographic area, such as face mask requirements and vaccine locations near them. By directly connecting Deaf callers with trained Deaf agents instead of randomized, untrained Video Relay interpreters, the hotline helps curb confusion and misinformation.

“I often get calls from people who are very concerned about not understanding what is happening because statistics and data are so overwhelming,” said one COVID-19 Hotline representative. “After providing support in ASL, I can see that people are feeling relieved and safer by having more accurate information to protect themselves.” 

ASL Now recently launched a similar ASL-based hotline in Minnesota in March 2022, and another hotline in the State of Virginia in April 2021. Over a four-month period, Virginia’s hotline agents handled more than 500 calls from Deaf Virginians seeking accessible coronavirus information. 

Anyone may contact the Austin ASL Now hotline in one of two ways:

CSD and the ASL Now Austin, Texas ASL Now hotline are not medical organizations. Hotline agents are not medical professionals, nor do they provide medical advice.

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