Have an emergency? Better dust off the TTY if you want immediate and direct assistance. No TTY? No direct connection to 9-1-1. Get in line to wait for the next available relay operator.
Right now, the only way a deaf or hard of hearing person can directly call 9-1-1 is through a TTY. We are unable to use our pagers or videophones to directly call 9-1-1 when a life is at stake.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is seeking comments from the public – that’s you – on modernizing its regulations on how we can access 9-1-1 services. The government is beginning efforts to move 9-1-1 call centers from analog technology to Next Generation 9-1-1 service (NG 9-1-1), which can handle voice, text, or video messages directly. The DOJ especially wants your comments on:
- What devices you will use to contact 9-1-1 directly without connecting to relay first
- What modes of text and video communication should 9-1-1 call centers be able to handle
- How to ensure that 9-1-1 call centers will be able to handle text and video communications
The NAD advocates that:
- 9-1-1 call centers must be prepared to accept all forms of text communications, including real-time text, SMS, instant messaging, e-mail, and analog gateway.
- 9-1-1 call centers must be equipped and prepared to accept all forms of video communications, either from videophones or webcams, directly without requiring the deaf or hard of hearing caller to connect through a relay service provider first.
- This includes direct and immediate access to qualified, specially trained 9-1-1 operators and/or interpreters for callers using sign language.
SUMBIT YOUR COMMENTS TODAY!
The DOJ wants responses from the community: http://www.regulations.gov. The deadline for your comments is 11:59 pm EST tonight, January 24, 2011. You are welcome to use the NAD sample letter below and to add your own words explaining why access to NG-911 is important.
You can send your comments through the U.S. Mail or electronically: (http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=DOJ-CRT-2010-0006-0001). With your help, we will ensure access during a time of life or death.
ACT NOW FOR MODERN 9-1-1 ACCESS
Your Name
Your Address
Your phone and/or email address
[Today’s date]
Disability Rights Section
Civil Rights Division
U.S. Department of Justice
P.O. Box 2885
Fairfax, VA, 22031-0885
Re: Docket#111; RIN 1190-AA62
A. Question 1. What modes of communication (e.g., voice, text, video, or data) do (or will) individuals with disabilities use to make direct calls to a PSAP, and from what types of devices would the calls be made?
As a (deaf or hard of hearing) individual, my civil rights are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This is especially crucial in the life and death context of direct access to 9-1-1 call centers.
Currently, the only way for a deaf or hard of hearing caller to reach a 911 emergency center is by calling through a TTY or through a relay service provider. This puts our community at a disadvantage. More and more deaf and hard of hearing callers do not own TTYs, [including myself.] [Even if I own a TTY, I do not have it with me everywhere I go in case I have to make an emergency call outside of my home].
[The NAD urges you to tell the DOJ of any problems calling 9-1-1.]
Today, individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing use more sophisticated forms of communications devices, including video phones, pagers, smart phones, and internet protocol devices that allow for various types of text and video communications both at home and away.
The DOJ must ensure that 9-1-1 call centers be prepared to accept all forms of text communications, including real-time text, SMS, instant messaging, e-mail, and analog gateway. Likewise, 9-1-1 call centers must be equipped and prepared to accept all forms of video communications, either from videophones or webcams, directly without requiring the deaf or hard of hearing caller to connect through a relay service provider first. This includes direct and immediate access to qualified, specially trained 9-1-1 operators and/or interpreters for callers using sign language.
[The NAD urges you to tell the DOJ what type of communication technology you use most often and the type of communication technology you would prefer to use in the event of an emergency.]
Thank you for this opportunity to provide comments.
Sincerely,
[Sign your name]