From NAD concerning MTA Evacuation Instruction DVD

December 5, 2006

Dear Deaf Task Force NYC–

The DVD should be captioned. Please contact MTA and request that the DVD be reproduced with captions. Assuming MTA is a state or local government agency, it is required by Section 504 and Title II of the ADA to ensure that its programs and services (including emergency preparedness information) is accessible by people with disabilities.

Access to 911 services from all cell phones, pagers, PDAs, or other mobile telecommunications devices, as well as for VoIP, IP Relay, and VRS, is an issue of great concern to emergency preparedness advocacy groups. I heard that in California, possibly Sacramento, one emergency 911 call center established a text-based communication system. Part of the problem with 911 from a device other than a landline telephone system is routing the call to the appropriate 911 call center. Solutions are being investigated. For more information, go to www.fcc.gov and search for “E911.”

I hope this information is helpful.

Rosaline

Rosaline Crawford
NAD Law and Advocacy Center
8630 Fenton Street, Suite 820
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 587-7730 (voice/TTY)
(301) 587-1791 (fax)