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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

FEMA Releases “Alerting the Whole Community: Removing Barriers to Alerting Accessibility”.

Recognizing that alert and warning information is only effective if received means understanding how people in our communities choose to receive information. And if the goal is to alert everyone, then it is vitally important not to overlook the approximately 25% of our population who rely on assistance or accommodation in their day-to-day lives. Pushing information to TV and radio is simply no longer enough.

FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) is moving quickly toward its goal of making sure alerts and warnings are fully accessible by the whole community. Their multi-platform approach to pushing information through a variety of devices attempts to ensure access to critical information by everyone. But there are still some final hurdles to overcome.

Download the Federal Emergency Management’s new document, “Alerting the Whole Community: Removing Barriers to Alerting Accessibility”.