DHHCAN Report on Emergency Communications
Editor: Have you noticed more attention being paid to the issue of
emergency communications for people with hearing loss? I think a lot of
that is due to the efforts of Cheryl Heppner, NVRC, and DHHCAN. Here's a
press release on a national report that addresses this important issue.
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Further Information: Cheryl Heppner cheppner@nvrc.org
National Report Says Emergency Communication for Deaf and Hard of
Hearing People Gets Failing Grade
(WASHINGTON - December 10, 2004) A national report issued today calls
attention to serious weaknesses in the nation's emergency preparedness
infrastructure that compromise the safety and security of 28 million
Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing. The report, "Emergency
Preparedness and Emergency Communication Access: Lessons Learned Since
9/11 and Recommendations" is the work of the Deaf and Hard of
Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network (DHHCAN), a coalition of 16 national
organizations of, by, and for deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened and
deaf-blind individuals, and the Northern Virginia Resource Center for
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC), a regional education and
advocacy center with headquarters in Fairfax, VA.
One top priority identified by the report is the need for an
effective system to receive emergency information that does not depend
on the ability to hear. A second priority calls for active involvement
of individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened and
deaf-blind in emergency planning processes, equipment testing, disaster
exercises, training of public safety and security personnel, and
community volunteer activities such as the Citizen Corps.
Recommendations to address these and other priorities are intended to
build a national network. This network would have a knowledge bank of
individuals and organizations to offer technical assistance, research,
education, training, planning, advice and consultation, and development
of model programs and services to tackle a wide range of needs.
"The Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Communication Access
report represents an extensive summary of personal experiences by
individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing on the fateful day of
September 11, 2001 and thereafter under different circumstances,"
said Claude Stout, Chair of DHHCAN.
"We urge policymakers, technical innovators, and first
responders to take heed of the recommendations in the report, and
initiate action to fully involve all stakeholders in the processes of
preparing for, coping with, and recovering from natural and man-made
disasters," he said. "We are deeply grateful to Cheryl Heppner
for her exemplary contributions in leadership and authorship, and over
2,000 individuals around the country who offered their testimonies as
material for this report".
Excerpts from the report's Executive Summary:
- Hearing loss has a major impact on communication in emergencies
because it is impossible to depend on auditory information. Sirens,
shouted warnings, calls from rescue workers trying to locate people in
rubble, knocks on doors to give urgent information, quick phone calls to
give a heads-up about a developing situation, radios, public address
systems - all can be useless. Captioning of television and Internet news
and coverage for text messages is not a given. Without effective
systems, deaf and hard of hearing individuals do not know that there is
an emergency, cannot learn what steps must be taken to protect
themselves and others, and have no access to critical resources in the
aftermath of an emergency.
- Developing an effective emergency communication system for
individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing will help everyone. In an
emergency, many people with no hearing loss have difficulty hearing. The
combination of stress and noise such as high winds, explosions, screams,
or the roaring of a fire can make it impossible to hear well.
- Other weaknesses identified in the nation's emergency preparedness
planning make it imperative for quick action to ensure that individuals
who are deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened and deaf-blind are actively
involved in community, regional, state, and federal emergency planning
processes, equipment testing, disaster exercises, Community Emergency
Response Team trainings, Citizen Corps activities, training of public
safety and security personnel, and other activities. The involvement of
individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened and deaf-blind
will tap into their tremendous talents and quickly help to increase
understanding of their needs in a wide variety of areas.
- Emergency planners are setting up systems across the U.S. that do
not take into account the unique needs of individuals who are deaf, hard
of hearing, late-deafened and deaf-blind. History has repeatedly shown
that redesigning and adapting equipment, programs and services without
taking these needs into account is almost always more expensive and
rarely as effective.
The report is available in PDF version at the following websites:
National Association of the Deaf
www.nad.org/DHHCANer
Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons
http://www.nvrc.org/MediaLibrary/DHHCANEmergencyReport.pdf
Telecommunications for the Deaf Inc.
http://www.tdi-online.org/tdi/emergencypreparedness/emergencypreparedness.htm
For a text version, contact cheppner@nvrc.org.
ABOUT DHHCAN
Established in 1993, DHHCAN serves as the national coalition of
organizations representing the interests for deaf and/or hard of hearing
citizens in public policy and legislative issues relating to rights,
quality of life, equal access, and self-representation. DHHCAN also
provides a forum for proactive discussion on issues of importance and
movement toward universal, barrier-free access with emphasis on quality,
certification and standards.
DHHCAN ORGANIZATIONS
American Association of the Deaf-Blind: www.aadb.org
American Deafness and Rehabilitation Association www.adara.org
Association of Late-Deafened Adults: www.alda.org
American Society for Deaf Children: www.deafchildren.org
Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the
Deaf: www.ceasd.org
Communication Service for the Deaf: www.c-s-d.org
Deaf Seniors of America: www.deafseniors.org
Gallaudet University: www.gallaudet.edu
Gallaudet University Alumni Association: http://alumni.gallaudet.edu/
National Association of the Deaf: www.nad.org
National Black Deaf Advocates: www.nbda.org
National Catholic Office of the Deaf:
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf: www.rid.org
Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.: www.tdi-online.org
USA Deaf Sports Federation: www.usadsf.org
The Caption Center/WGBH: http://main.wgbh.org/wgbh/pages/mag/
ABOUT NVRC
Founded in 1989, NVRC's mission is to empower deaf and hard of hearing
individuals and their families through education, advocacy and community
involvement. Its primary service area is the metropolitan region of
Northern Virginia. It has been a national leader in research on the
experiences of deaf, hard of hearing, late-deafened and deaf-blind in
emergencies.
Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons:
www.nvrc.org
