[gui-talk] Blind Massachusetts Residents Unable to Access EmergencyInformation

Tue Dec 7 14:54:05 UTC 2010

What about good old-fashion loud speakers and sirens. Especially in an area 
with a high population density, this would be a very inexpensive method of 
emergency information dissemination.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tai Blas" <Tai.Blas at blind.state.ia.us>
To: "Discussion of the Graphical User Interface, GUI Talk Mailing List" 
<gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2010 9:43 AM
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Blind Massachusetts Residents Unable to Access 
EmergencyInformation

> Remember that a great deal of emergency information is scrolled across the 
> bottom of the television screen rather than being conveyed auditorily, so 
> obtaining information via television is not necessarily an option. 
> Furthermore, there are times when one does not have access to television 
> or radio signals. The blind have fewer methods of obtaining emergency 
> information than do sighted folks. This is not a good thing. I support any 
> effort to gain access to multiple avenues of emergency information.
>
> Tai
>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2010 6:11 AM
> To: Discussion of the Graphical User Interface, GUI Talk Mailing List
> Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Blind Massachusetts Residents Unable to Access 
> EmergencyInformation
>
>
> This is a bunch of nonsense.  Blind Mass. residents can just turn on their 
> radios or TV's like everyone else to obtain emergency information. 
> Another example of creating an issue where none exists.
>
> Gerald
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Freeh, Jessica (by way of David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com>)"
> <JFreeh at nfb.org>
> To: <david.andrews at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 11:19 PM
> Subject: [gui-talk] Blind Massachusetts Residents Unable to Access 
> EmergencyInformation
>
>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>>
>>
>> CONTACT:
>>
>> Mika Pyyhkala
>>
>> National Board member
>>
>> President, NFB of <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
>> "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Massachusetts
>>
>> (617) 202-3497
>>
>> pyyhkala at gmail.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Blind Massachusetts Residents
>> Unable to Access Emergency Information
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Contractor Everbridge Blocks Blind Subscribers  from Emergency Alert
>> Systems
>>
>>
>>
>> Boston, Massachusetts (December 6, 2010): The National Federation of
>> the Blind of Massachusetts (NFB of MA) is working to resolve an
>> emergency issue with the City of Boston and one of its contractors,
>> Everbridge.  The city contracts with Everbridge to provide a
>> subscription service whereby residents can receive emergency alerts by
>> telephone, text message, or e-mail, but blind residents cannot access
>> the service because registering involves a visual captcha.  Captchas
>> are automated tests used to tell humans and computers apart, often
>> through the use of distorted letters that must be retyped by the
>> person attempting to register for an online service.  Since blind
>> people cannot respond to visual-only captchas, which cannot be read by
>> screen access software used by the blind, many entities provide an
>> audio alternative or some other form of captcha, such as a simple logic 
>> question.  Everbridge's system provides no such alternative.
>>
>>
>>
>> NFB of MA President Mika Pyyhkala has been unable to reach the company
>> since discovering the problem on November 29, despite repeated
>> attempts at contact through its Twitter and Facebook accounts, e-mail
>> addresses, and telephone customer service system, as well as a
>> telephone call to the office of its CEO.
>>
>>
>>
>> Mika Pyyhkala, president of the National Federation of the Blind of
>> Massachusetts, said: "Blind people need timely access to information
>> in emergency situations, just like everyone else.  Clearly, however,
>> Everbridge did not give this basic need any consideration when it
>> designed its system; nor did the cities of Boston, Waltham, and
>> Winchester consider the needs of their blind citizens during their
>> procurement processes.  The sluggish response by Everbridge and the
>> City of Boston to this emergency is deplorable given that it would be
>> very easy for Everbridge to fix this problem or for the city to
>> procure this service from a company that does not use a visual captcha as 
>> the sole means of allowing users to register.
>> The Everbridge accessibility issue represents a wake-up call for every
>> CIO and CTO regarding technology, civil rights, and timely
>> communication with stakeholders."
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ###
>>
>>
>>
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>
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