emergency alerts and warnings

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released Alerting the Whole Community: Removing Barriers to Alerting Accessibility, a report outlining the current efforts made to ensure accessibility for people with access and functional needs within the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS). According to the report, approximately 25% of Americans may need “assistance or accommodation to receive emergency alerts,” including people with disabilities and limited English proficiency.

February 12, 2013 — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is to extend the Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council (CSRIC) for a fourth two-year term and is seeking nominations for membership to be submitted by March 20, 2013. The CSRIC is seeking representatives from government agencies, communications service providers, mobile technology developers, and organizations representing people with disabilities.