Emergency Communications and People with Disabilities

Helena Mitchell and Frank Lucia, WEC co-project directors, visited Washington, D.C. on April 25, 2011 for a series of meetings with FEMA (Office of Disability Integration and Coordination and IPAWS) and the FCC (Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau). They presented findings and recommendations from field trials and focus groups which examined accessible Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) alerts to wireless devices. The results were submitted to the FCC public record as Ex Parte comments in the open EAS and CMAS proceedings. Also presented were preliminary findings on the use of social media by those with access and functional needs. Marcie Roth, Director of DHS/FEMA’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination, will share information with working groups addressing these topics of concern. View the materials: