Colorado has in place a comprehensive approach to accessible government, in part due to a state law mandating government agencies to comply with state accessibility standards.
The state started using the Aira tool — a smartphone app that offers live, human-to-human interpretation and translation services 24/7 — in February 2023 to support people who are blind or have low vision. That launch connected users to representatives who could give them detailed directions to help them navigate through the Capitol building.
Since then, the tool has been expanded to improve the experience of Colorado state parks visitors who are blind or have low vision, to support visitors at the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s workforce centers and vocational rehabilitation centers that use ASL, and to help visitors access information at History Colorado museums and historic sites.
While this tool is intended to support a relatively small population of Coloradans, the state’s CIO David Edinger said it offers “a very specialized niche reach that matters.” The tool, he noted, demonstrates state leadership’s commitment to taking action on accessibility.
“This pilot program helps people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing participate fully and meaningfully in the state legislative process,” Annabelle Tracy, Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator for the state legislative branch, said in a statement.
The state is offering free, 30-minute on-demand sessions with Aira ASL through OIT’s Technology Accessibility Program. The Aira ASL pilot is now available at all 32 Division of Vocational Rehabilitation locations, 46 workforce centers and 11 History Colorado sites.
Feedback and usage during the pilot will inform the continuation of this tool’s services and potential future expansion.
The Aira platform has been adopted by several other government jurisdictions, including the city of Coral Gables, Fla., Sedgwick County, Kan., and the Chicago Department of Aviation.
