The Emergency Access Advisory Committee of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released the results of a national survey about 911 technology for people with disabilities.
The survey was conducted in April in May. That data was based on more than 3,000 completed surveys and 9,000 partially fill out questionnaires.
Organizations that were involved in advertising the survey included the National Association of the Deaf, the American Council of the Blind and the American Association of People with Disabilities.
Respondents varied in age with half ranging from 25-50 years old and one quarter falling between 55 and 64 years of age. Nearly 40 percent were deaf, 11 percent had a cognitive disability and 20 percent had a mobility disability. Ten percent were blind or visually impaired.
The survey asked respondents for the types of technology and assistive devices they use and the most common responses were phones, video software and telecommunications relay services.
The survey found that 34 percent of respondents had called 911 in the last two years, mostly through landlines, mobile phones or video relay services. When asked whether they have ever needed to call 911 but were unable to, 75 percent said no. Six percent said they tried to call 911 but received no answer or a busy signal, were disconnected or were unable to have their needs understood by the operator.
Thirteen percent did not have a phone with them, did not own a phone or did not have a device that allows them to communicate effectively with the 911 system.
When asked how they would prefer to contact 911, 48 percent said texting, 35 percent favored video, 32 percent chose a combination of voice, video and text and 23 percent selected speech and artificial speech.
Favorite methods of texting were real-time text, SMS and email. The favored video options were video phone for sign language and video relay services. Thirty-six percent said they would like to send video to a dispatcher who could see them.
When asked, “How important is it to respondents to call and communicate with 911 directly instead of through a relay service?” 77 percent said ‘very important.’ Eighty-three percent said it is ‘very important’ to be able to call 911 with the same device that they typically use to communicate with friends. Fifty-six percent of survey takers who use sign language said they would like to be able to do so during a 911 call.
The FCC also sought input on future plans to make 911 an Internet-based system.
The Twenty-First Century Communications Accessibility Act signed by President Obama in October 2010 required the FCC to conduct the survey by mandating that the commission take steps towards making emerging technology accessible to people with disabilities.
The Emergency Access Advisory Committee is comprised of representatives of the emergency management and disability communities, seniors and first responders. The next step for the committee is to establish technological recommendations to provide to the FCC.
To read the report click here.
This article was published in the September 2011 issue of Able News.
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