Hartford’s Wearsafe Labs is offering a donation to West Hartford’s American School for the Deaf in the final hours of its Kickstarter campaign.

The Wearsafe Tag can be worn on a lanyard, or carried in a pocket. Submitted photo

By Michelle Bonner

Wearsafe Labs, a Connecticut-based startup developing advanced wearable personal safety products, is proud to announce it is teaming up with the American School for the Deaf whose mission is to enhance the quality of life of those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

“For someone who is deaf or hearing impaired, seeking help through the traditional 911 system can prove to be incredibly challenging,” said David Benoit, co-founder of Wearsafe Labs. “The Wearsafe platform stands to revolutionize the way this community seeks help.”

The company has set up a reward on Kickstarter which allows backers to donate Wearsafe Tags to the American School for the Deaf. These donations will help the ASD, which has been changing lives since 1817, to create the most safe campus environment possible for its students.

“We want to empower people to live their lives the way they want to live it,” added Benoit. “The Wearsafe technology allows those who are already vulnerable to feel safer and more secure in whatever they are doing.  We couldn’t be more humbled by the opportunity to support this extraordinary American Institution.”

Wearsafe tags. Submitted photo

The Wearsafe Tag, which will be release early this fall, can clip onto almost anything and uses one discreet touch of a button with a range of up to 200 feet from a user’s smartphone. When activated, a selected network instantly receives an alert through email, text and their Wearsafe app, a group chat is started and the network can see where someone is with the GPS information provided as well as hear audio from the location. Users can also receive tactile confirmation to let them know their alert has been received. If additional assistance is needed, network members can call 911 directly from within the app.

Wearsafe is in the final hours of its Kickstarter campaign, a platform being used to allow the company to take its first steps in their journey to save 10 million lives in 10 years (#10millionlives). “For us, saving lives goes beyond those which would have been lost, but also those which might otherwise be irreparably altered by a bad experience,” saif Benoit. “We can empower, connect and protect the people we love and help to keep each other safe.  People have the option to donate Tags to the American School for the deaf by visiting our Kickstarter campaign: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wearsafe/wearsafe-wearable-technology-on-a-mission-to-save?ref=email. By choosing the new $100 reward level the school will receive three Wearsafe Tags, each with a year of service.”

“The American School for the Deaf is excited to partner with Wearsafe, a local Hartford company who has developed technology that we think has the potential to enhance the communication capabilities for deaf and hard of hearing people in emergency situations,” saif Rennie Polk, assistant director of Institutional Advancement for the American School for the Deaf. To learn more about the American School for the Deaf, please visit their website.

About Wearsafe

Wearsafe is a market innovator and leading developer of advanced mobile and wearable safety products designed to revolutionize the way you live your life. Wearsafe’s products marry cutting edge technology with individual and institutional demand for personal safety. As pioneers in creating personal protection products and communication services that leverage mobile technology, Wearsafe’s vision is to change the perception of safety and security products, from solely protecting locations and property, to protecting individuals, wherever they may be.