Participants Needed! Focus Group on Emergency Information

Image of the world globe with a magnifying glass highlighting a group of people

We need your help to make emergency alerts and warning systems accessible to people with disabilities!  People with disabilities are sometimes not considered when sending emergency alerts and information. This can impact how you prepare, respond and get back to normal after an emergency. We invite you to discuss how you receive emergency alerts and information and your preferences for two-way communications with emergency response personnel.  Technology will be demonstrated.

Some of you are already familiar with us because you participated in our previous focus groups regarding video alerting in ASL and/or you participated in a field test to gauge the accessibility of text alerts to mobile phones.  Now that access to mobile alerts has been operational for two years, we are continuing that work. 

We seek individuals who are hearing impaired, blind, have low-vision, or have a learning disability.

Each participant will receive a $40 cash stipend. Beverages and snacks will be provided.

The discussions will be held on Georgia Tech’s campus on Monday, June 30 or Thursday, July 10th. Addtional location details will be provided once you confirm.

Your total time commitment will be no more than 2 hours; this does not include travel time to and from Georgia Tech.  

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) on behalf of the U. S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) really needs your input.

If you want to participate, please contact Maureen Linden at 404.894.0561 or Maureen.linden@coa.gatech.edu.

Additional Information

  • National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research logo
  • Center for Advanced Communications Policy logo
  • Georgia Institute of Technology logo
  •  Shepherd Center Logo

500 10th Street NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0620 | 404-3854614 | Contact Us

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies is sponsored by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under grant number 90RE5007-01-00. The opinions contained in this website are those of the Wireless RERC and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or NIDILRR.