Every second counts in an emergency. But for 12 million Deaf Americans, 30 million with hearing loss in both ears, and 25.7 million with limited English proficiency, calling 911 has been impossible, unsafe, or out of reach. And many more cannot safely use their voices in dangerous moments, such as during domestic violence or mass shootings.
Today, nonprofit accesSOS is breaking that barrier. The San Francisco–based organization announced a major upgrade to its free mobile app: instant emergency access in 30 languages. The rollout is live now in California and New Mexico, with plans to expand nationwide.
“Emergency help should never depend on the language you use or whether you can hear or speak,” said Gabriella Wong, founder of accesSOS. “This upgrade is about saving lives while expanding equity in public safety.”
The expansion was made possible through the generous support from Twilio.org, the social impact arm of Twilio; PagerDuty Impact Hub, the global impact arm of PagerDuty, Echoing Green, and the Carl C. Anderson Sr. & Marie Jo Anderson Charitable Foundation.
To guarantee accuracy and reliability, accesSOS worked with Respond Crisis Translation, a nonprofit network of professional translators specializing in urgent, lifesaving translation.
With accesSOS, users can request emergency help – police, fire, medical, mental – in their preferred language. The app is always free, always available 24/7, and designed to ensure that no one is left behind when lives are on the line.
Founded in 2019 after Wong’s deaf father was unable to reach 911 during a medical emergency, accesSOS is reimagining how emergency help works for everyone.
Learn more and download the accesSOS app today at www.accessos.io.
*Data based on 2023 data.
