Children Are Waiting Longer In The ER For Mental Health Care, Study Finds

 Kids who visit emergency rooms for mental health crises are increasingly likely to spend more than six hours there, a noisy, chaotic experience that experts say can be traumatic. Read More >

Recent Natural Disasters Trigger Complaints From Disability Groups

Advocates say that federal emergency response efforts are failing to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities, including by sending them unnecessarily to nursing homes. Read More ;

Harvey Brings Unique Challenges For Those With Disabilities

The upending of normalcy in the wake of Hurricane Harvey is particularly hard on those with special needs, and disability advocates and families are working to help them cope. Read More >

Dealing with Emergencies - Text-to-911

Text-to-911 is rolling out across the nation, letting mobile phone and device users contact 911 call centers through a text message. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is working with the nation's four largest wireless telephone companies – AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile & Verizon – to enable this service. Although all wireless telephone companies & amp; providers of text messaging services are required to support text messages to 911 by December 31, 2014, not all 911 call centers are equipped to accept them. Text-to-911 Deployments as of August 25, 2014 http://transition.fcc.gov/pshs/911/Text_911_Deployments.pdf has a comprehensive list of states & counties that currently offer the service, as well as the delivery method & serving carriers. Please note that unless you have confirmed that the 911 center in your area supports text-to-911, you should still use your phone, TTY line or a telecommunications relay service to place an emergency call. Visit the FCC website for quick facts and frequently asked questions about text-to-911. http://www.fcc.gov/guides/text-911-quick-facts-faqs

Upgrading Capabilities of 911 Emercency System

FCC has announced that it plans to upgrade the capabilities of the 9-1-1 emergency system by allowing texting, video streaming and data sharing as part of the National Broadband Plan's Next Generation 9-1-1. Many people, particularly those with disabilities, depend on texting as their primary means of communication. In some emergency situations -- especially in circumstances where a call could further jeopardize someone’s life and safety -- texting is the only way to reach out for help.

For more information visit this link: http://www.disability.gov/technology/news_%26_events

September is Emergency Preparedness Month

The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have announced the beginning of the sixth annual National Preparedness Month, focusing on becoming better prepared for and more resilient in the face of emergencies of all kinds. Join the Ready Campaign in spreading the emergency preparedness message this month. Watch a video about preparing for emergencies at http://www.ready.gov/america/about/_flash/movie14.html or read the video transcript here http://www.ready.gov/america/about/_flash/movie14.txt Find emergency preparedness & response resources in your state at http://www.ready.gov/america/local/

EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT: MAKING IMPROVEMENTS FOR COMMUNITIES AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a report calling on federal, state & local authorities to make sweeping changes in emergency management practices for people with disabilities. This report assesses scientific studies of preparedness, response, recovery, & mitigation efforts, & recommends practical, policy, & research initiatives that would maintain & expand this promising momentum. For more information go to http://www.ncd.gov/