Vodacom has launched its 112 Emergency Services app with a number of improvements specifically designed to assist deaf and hearing impaired persons.

The app allows anybody with a hearing or speech disability to contact ER24’s emergency contact centre 24 hours a day. Users are able to request help from police, fire services, sea rescue, an ambulance and traffic services.

“As an organisation that aims to include all members of society through our different product suites, we realised that there’s a gap in the market. Most emergency services are predominantly accessible via voice calls. We recognised that this was a barrier for the deaf and hearing impaired market segments, hence the birth of this app,” says Vodacom’s Karen Smit.

The Vodacom 112 Emergency Services builds off of Vodacom’s SMS Emergency Service that was launched in 2018. That service is not being discontinued and Vodacom says the app simply provides another channel through which emergency services can be contacted.

The app is only available to Vodacom contract and pre-paid customers.

The Vodacom 112 Emergency Services app from the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store. Just as an aside – the app sports the ER24 logo and is published by Mediclinic so don’t be confused when you don’t see the Vodacom logo.

Once downloaded users need to register for the service from within the app.