Use of Social Media during Public Emergencies by People with Disabilities

 People with disabilities are generally more vulnerable during disasters and publicemergencies than the general population. Physical, sensory and cognitive impairments may result ingreater difficulty in receiving and understanding emergency alert information, and greater difficulty intaking appropriate action. The use of social media in the United States has grown considerably inrecent years. This has generated increasing interest on the part of national, state and localjurisdictions in leveraging these channels to communicate public health and safety information. Howand to what extent people with disabilities use social and other communications media during publicemergencies can help public safety organizations understand the communication needs of thecitizens in their jurisdictions, and plan their social media and other communications strategies accordingly.