It will be easier for many to contact emergency services with an addition to their accessibility.

Contacting 911 is now available through text message for registered numbers and is exclusively for those who are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired. Bev Barkman-Sofroniuk volunteers as a sign language interpreter at Southland Church and says she feels this service will come as a relief to many individuals.

"That's awesome because I don't know how they would have contacted for emergency help before. Recently I had a deaf friend who came upon an accident but, thankfully, maybe, he wasn't the first one to arrive. How would you call for help if you couldn't [hear or speak]?"

Sign Language interpreter Larissa Peters, formerly from Steinbach, says there are services in place for to assist deaf individuals such as the Video Relay Service (VRS). This service allows someone to video-chat with an interpreter for such cases as a doctor's appointment. Peters notes if VRS closes at 6 p.m., for example, and an emergency happens at 9 p.m., VRS is no longer helpful and an additional service, like texting 911, becomes important.

"I think having access to [emergency services] and [everyone having] the ability to contact 911 is a huge step in the right direction. [Being able to contact emergency services for help] should be a basic human right."

Mobile numbers may be registered through the individual's service provider. When contacting emergency services, registered users would dial 911 to initiate the text messaging session.