988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline adopts ASL services for deaf and hard of hearing

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline adopts ASL services for deaf and hard of hearing

Posted on September 8, 2023

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline now offers American Sign Language services for the deaf and hard of hearing, SAMHSA announced. since the beginning, ASL services have been part of the vision for 988 and an important milestone, coming just after the first anniversary of 988. “Traditionally, we have seen that there are a lot more barriers to care for the deaf and hard of hearing community in accessing mental health services,” Hannah Wesolowski, NAMI CAO, told ABC News. “So seeing the video phone-enabled services being offered, I think it's going to be a huge improvement in making sure we're increasing access.” The Lifeline has offered teletypewriter, text and chat tools that are accessible for deaf and hard-of-hearing people, but Wesolowski noted that some of those options may not feel as personal for some users. “Being able to speak in the language that you are used to speaking in, and being able to do that via ASL I think will reach a broader part of the population,” Wesolowski added. “And the ASL video services certainly create another point of engagement, that I think better supports that access to care.”