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This research brief reports on developing a software app that demonstrates the technical feasibility of providing WEA messages in multiple formats, namely text-based messages, spoken messages, symbology, and ASL video with captions, to improve the accessibility of the messages for all receivers. The results of a usability study examining how people who are Deaf understand the emergency messages in multiple formats are also described. 

This research brief presents findings from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wireless Inclusive Technologies’ (Wireless RERC) Survey of User Needs (SUN) for 2019-2020. We present key findings regarding mobile phone use and satisfaction by consumers with disabilities. A total of 219 respondents, or 98.3%, of users who responded indicated owning or using a wireless device such as a traditional cell phone, smartphone, tablet, or wearable device.

This report presents findings from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wireless Inclusive Technologies’ (Wireless RERC) Survey of User Needs (SUN) for 2019-2020. In this report, we present key findings regarding the use of wireless technology features by SUN respondents, including real-time-text, intelligent assistants, and visual and audio display options. We also discuss the use of wireless devices by individuals with disabilities for a variety of activities. Whereas...

During March, disability advocates and members of the community celebrated Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) coordinated with state and local municipal governments to raise awareness for better inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all aspects of human life. Each year a resource guide...

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The Wireless RERC conducted our annual content review of the Technology and Disability Policy Highlights newsletter. The top five most cited words were accessibility, assistive, COVID, broadband, and public. This past year’s hot topics mostly centered around expanding access to broadband amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year we also celebrated the 30^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Not long after, 2020 saw movement to codify inclusive access to...

The third of December was International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD), and the United Nations themed the 2020 celebration "Building Back Better: Toward a Disability-Inclusive, Accessible, and Sustainable Post-COVID-19 World." The key messages for IDPD 2020 were health equity-focused and included among others: (1) “The COVID-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to build back better our health systems so that they are more inclusive and responsive to the needs...

In September, National Preparedness Month was celebrated. Many counties, cities, and nonprofits across the country took the opportunity to virtually educate citizens on the importance of being prepared in the event of a local or national emergency. And the celebrations continued with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CVAA).  They hosted a...

The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) policies and regulations in response to COVID-19 had the opportunity to profoundly shape digital experiences and social outcomes for Americans with disabilities. However, the FCC's response must be met with an equal effort by other stakeholders to fully realize the intended outcomes. This policy brief identifies and describes the FCC's response to the global health pandemic and the implications of the same for people with disabilities...

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Inclusive Technologies (Wireless RERC) published its third Biennial Review of Mobile Phone Accessibility, quantifying accessibility levels of mobile phones available in the U.S. market as of February 2020. The study analyzed 141 phones from the Tier 1 wireless carriers (e.g., Verizon and Sprint), one prepaid carrier, and five Lifeline carriers. The Review assessed the presence of 35 features associated with device...