Volunteer Software Engineer

About Us

accesSOS has helped 166 people reach 911 when they couldn't make the call themselves. Every one of those was someone Deaf, hard of hearing, or unable to speak safely, in a real emergency, with no other way to get help. We're looking for engineers to make sure that number keeps growing.

We're a small tech nonprofit building a free mobile app that connects people with disabilities to 911 when a voice call isn't possible. The app collects emergency details through guided questions, then delivers that information to 911 dispatchers, including location, medical context, and photos. We're currently expanding our AI-powered voice agent that calls 911 on behalf of users who can't make the call themselves. Our partners include the OpenAI Foundation, PagerDuty.org, Twilio.org, and Fast Forward.

The Role

We're looking for volunteer software engineers to help build and maintain the technology people rely on during emergencies: our React Native mobile app, web tools, and supporting infrastructure.

You'll work alongside our engineering, product and design team, writing code, fixing bugs, and shipping features that directly expand access to 911 for communities across the country. This is hands-on engineering work with real users and real stakes.

Time commitment: ~5-10 hours per week (flexible). Most collaboration is asynchronous, with occasional video calls.

What You'll Work On

• Build and maintain features in our mobile app (React Native) and web applications (React)
• Improve usability and accessibility of our user interfaces
• Write clean, well-documented code and review contributions from other volunteers
• Help keep our systems stable: testing, monitoring, and resolving technical issues
• Integrate with third-party services including Firebase, Google Cloud, and Twilio

What We're Looking For

• Experience building and shipping JavaScript/TypeScript applications
• Familiarity with React Native or React (or eagerness to learn quickly)
• Comfort working with cloud platforms like Firebase or Google Cloud
• Experience integrating third-party APIs
• Self-directed and reliable, you follow through on what you commit to
• Collaborative and kind, we're a small team doing hard work that matters

Nice to Have

• Experience with cross-platform mobile development (Android and iOS)
• Familiarity with Figma or similar design collaboration tools
• Interest in accessibility, assistive technology, or emergency services

Why Volunteer With Us

• Your code will be used by real people in real emergencies. That's not something most engineering roles can offer. You'll also gain experience working on a production app with meaningful scale (45 U.S. states), collaborate with a mission-driven team, and build portfolio work you can be proud of.