Emergency Services for the Deaf

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Hurricanes, floods, fires and other emergency circumstances can be stressful for a lot of people, but they present additional hurdles for those who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. In the United States, there is an estimated 36 million adults who report some degree of hearing loss and 2-3 of every 1,000 children is Hard of Hearing or Deaf (National Institute). When an emergency situation arises, all too often these populations of people are the last to find out because it is not accessible to them; having up-to-date information is crucial when it comes to all different emergency situation. With advancing technology, there is hope that receiving information about emergencies will become easier for people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing have difficulties in emergency situations such as: hurricanes, floods, tornadoes and other weather emergencies. They may not be able to hear a warning siren or the television they are watching may not be close-captioned. Even students who are in schools may have trouble receiving warning messages if they are in a mainstreamed school or a college that is not equipped with devices for the Deaf or Hard of Hearing. In the United States there are only two colleges for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, they are Gallaudet and National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) that is part of Rochester Institute of Technology. There should be systems put in place that makes it easier for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people to be informed of any emergency situation that may be occurring. Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals are even at risk in their own homes if they are not aware of the services available to them, such as smoke alarms. Smoke alarms save thousands of lives ever... ... middle of paper ... ...ed-from-house-fire-2487395.php Commission Document Print Email. (2014, April 3). Comment Deadlines and Effective Dates of Closed Captioning Order. Retrieved April 5, 2014, from http://www.fcc.gov/document/comment-deadlines-and-effective-dates-closed-captioning-order Emergency Preparedness and Public Safety. (2014, January 31). NC DSDHH:. Retrieved April 3, 2014, from http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dsdhh/services/emergency.htm Emergency Training and Education. (2014, January 1). . Retrieved April 6, 2014, from http://www.hsdc.org/services/deaf-community-members/emergency-training-education/ About TTY - What is a TTY?. (n.d.). About TTY - What is a TTY?. Retrieved March 31, 2014, from http://www.abouttty.com/Whatis.html Combs, J. (2011, January 1). RIT NTID 911 Briefing. . Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://www.ntid.rit.edu/sites/default/files/cat/NTID-911-briefing.pdf

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