Please join us for a FREE Webinar entitled:
Reaching People with Disabilities:
Wireless Emergency Alerting and Accessibility
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST
This webinar will have captioning and a sign language interpreter.
The Georgia Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities and Older Adults is pleased to present a webinar on the accessibility of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) to people with disabilities. WEAs are a component of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an agency of the Department of Homeland Security. During an emergency, alert and warning officials need to provide the public with life-saving information quickly. IPAWS provides public safety officials with an effective way to alert and warn the public about serious emergencies. However, research has shown that WEAs are not always effective for people with disabilities. Join this webinar to learn information about WEA and people with disabilities.
Pre-registration for this FREE webinar is required.
To register for this webinar please click on the link below:
Register for Webinar or please visit: www.amacusg.org/event.php?i=915
If you have any difficulty registering or if you have any additional questions, please contact the State ADA Coordinator’s Office at (404) 404-657-7313 (phone), 404-657-9993 (TTY) or via email at gaada@gsfic.ga.gov.
Presenter: DeeDee M. Bennett, PH. D.
DeeDee Bennett, Ph.D. is a Research Scientist in the Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP) at Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on how wireless communication can be used when disasters happen. Currently, she is the project lead for three projects related to improving alerts and warnings for the whole community (specifically people with sensory disabilities and others with language barriers).
Dr. Bennett has authored in several places such as the International Journal of Emergency Management, Journal of Emergency Management, and two textbooks. She has also presented at several emergency management-related conferences. She has lectured at the undergraduate and graduate level. Her topics include Emergency Communications; Preparedness, Warnings, and Protective Action; Social Vulnerable Populations during disasters; Social Media use during Disasters; and Qualifying Exam Preparation.
Presenter: Salimah LaForce
Salimah LaForce is a Research Analyst for the Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Communications Policy (CACP). She conducts policy and industry research and analysis for CACP’s emergency communications initiative. In her work she has conducted focus group and survey research in the areas of emergency communications and social media. Salimah serves as co-project director for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Integrated Alert and Public Warning System (IPAWS) CACP Collaborative Project 2 – informing citizens of features of mainstream technologies to enhance the effectiveness of Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs); and Project 5, providing accessible next generation alerts. Additionally, Salimah is the project director for the Wireless RERC’s research project, Policy Approaches to Promote Access to Wireless Technologies.
For more information on the Georgia Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities and Older Adults please visit: http://ada.georgia.gov/emergency-preparedness . You can also find us on Facebook by visiting http://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaPrepare?ref=hl.
ASL Interpreters provided by Deaf Services Unlimited. Captioning provided by AMAC.
