Emergency Communications

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.

Dr. James White, Director of Communications Studies at Georgia Tech’s Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) and Wireless RERC researcher, authored the recently published National Council on Disability (NCD) report: Effective Communication for People with Disabilities Before, During, and After Emergencies Evaluated. Officially released at their May 27^th briefing, the report focuses on the accessibility of emergency communication for people with intellectual, sensory, psychiatric and developmental disabilities. Of note, Dr.

May 2014 – The Wireless RERC filed comments regarding EAS Rules to Support Multilingual EAS and Emergency Information [EB Docket No. 04-296] corroborating the work of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) in their efforts to increase access to emergency information for people whose native language is not English, specifically noting the need for the inclusion of American Sign Language (ASL).  ASL is a distinct language used by individuals of the deaf community and is fundamentally unlike English.

May 2014 – The Wireless RERC filed reply comments to the FCC’s Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking regarding Facilitating the Deployment of Text-to911 and Other Next Generation 911 Applications. In accord with Sprint’s comments, the Wireless RERC agreed that, while relay service providers perform a valuable role in providing telecommunications access for people with disabilities, within the context of 911 calls relay services are not ideal.

April 2014 – The White House is currently readying for FEMA’s PrepareAthon, which will take place on April 30, 2014.