VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A member of Metro Vancouver’s deaf community says it’s something she and many others have been waiting for a long time.
Janice Lyons with the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing says she is very excited about the launch of a service that allows people who aren’t able to talk on the phone, to text 911.
Lyons says this will make a huge difference.
“This will make 911 accessible to this part of the community. I believe that they will feel safer, and not have to rely on the ‘hearing’ community in order to get help, fast,” she says.
She says difficulties people have faced in the past have included not being able to hear the operator on the other end, not knowing if someone has answered, or having to rely on a neighbour to call for them.
