Reports

Citizens with disabilities are at once the most vulnerable during an emergency, and the most likely to have greater access challenges to communications media than the rest of the population. Consequently, finding technological solutions that ensure access is critical to an effective emergency communications and emergency management plan.

This SUNspot addresses the question of whether household income is a factor in use of mobile wireless technology by people with disabilities. Two questions specific will be addressed:

• Does income affect the ownership of wireless devices such as cellphones, smartphones and tablets by people with any type of disability?
• Does income affect the types of devices (basic cellphone, smartphone, or tablet) that people with disabilities own?

This research brief presents survey data collected by the Wireless RERC on actual and preferred methods for contacting emergency response services by people living with hearing and/or speech loss.  The data were collected as part of the Survey on Emergency Communications and People with Disabilities conducted by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies (Wireless RERC).  

This SUNspot addresses the following questions related to use and usability of wireless technology by people with all types of disabilities:

• The rate of ownership of wireless devices such as cellphones, smartphones and tablets by people with any type of disability
• The types of devices that people with disabilities own

03.22.2012 – The Wireless RERC filed ex parte comments with the FCC regarding the national test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) conducted on November 9, 2011. The comments were submitted in the form of the Wireless RERC’s Report on the National EAS Test On-line Survey and Focus Group Findings. From November 2, 2011 through November 18, 2011, the Wireless RERC conducted two surveys, one prior to the November 9th national EAS test and the other following the test. Four hundred and three (403) people responded to the pre and post-EAS test surveys.