THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: ADVANCING NEW YORK CITY’S EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR ITS DEAF COMMUNITY
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Authors
King, Kyra N.
Subjects
FDNY
fire alarm call boxes
Americans with Disabilities Act
ADA
accessibility
deaf
hard of hearing
American Sign Language
ASL
LinkNYC
emergency notification systems
alert
911
Text-to-911
T911
deaf culture
VRS
disability
public safety
inclusive
emergency communication
assistive technology
NYC
emergency preparedness
communication barriers
ASL
American Sign Language
assistive technology
local government initiatives
disability rights
advocacy
accessibility legislation
fire alarm call boxes
Americans with Disabilities Act
ADA
accessibility
deaf
hard of hearing
American Sign Language
ASL
LinkNYC
emergency notification systems
alert
911
Text-to-911
T911
deaf culture
VRS
disability
public safety
inclusive
emergency communication
assistive technology
NYC
emergency preparedness
communication barriers
ASL
American Sign Language
assistive technology
local government initiatives
disability rights
advocacy
accessibility legislation
Advisors
Chatterjee, Anshu N.
Wollman, Lauren
Date of Issue
2024-09
Date
Publisher
Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
New York City (NYC) is required under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to protect its residents with disabilities by ensuring equal access in all areas of public life. Such protections are acutely felt by vulnerable populations in emergency situations. Despite multiple efforts to be accessible, the city faces efficacy problems with several of its services due to their failure to meaningfully consult and collaborate with the communities it seeks to benefit. Driven by the desire to improve NYC’s emergency public-facing communication and response systems for its deaf and hard of hearing community, this research evaluates the city’s policies, services, and technologies to assess their effectiveness and accessibility. Also, the legal frameworks that drive NYC's disability services and emergency communication efforts are considered and key stakeholders are identified.NYC’s deaf community’s experiences, needs, and preferences regarding emergency communication are fielded through a survey. The results reveal significant deficiencies in the current systems and underscore the necessity of stakeholder input in the design and implementation of tools and services. Following the survey, recommendations include increased collaboration with the deaf and hard of hearing community and targeted public awareness initiatives, enhancing the LinkNYC kiosk network to provide public-facing visual emergency alerts, and creating a working group to ensure continuous stakeholder engagement.
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Distribution Statement A. Approved for public release: Distribution is unlimited.
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