Outreach

Research Outreach

Highlights from project outreach, partner engagement, and co-design activities during the NSF CIVIC project (Award #2322255).

#CERT for Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing | ASL Emergency Preparedness
This video highlights the development of a groundbreaking Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) designed specifically for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (D/HH) community. The initiative showcases inclusive strategies such as ASL training modules, workshops, and direct collaboration between responders and the D/HH community. By bridging communication gaps and empowering individuals with accessible resources, this effort strengthens resilience and ensures equitable access to emergency services.

In addition to the CERT initiative, the project has engaged in extensive outreach with community members, partners, and evaluators. Below are highlights capturing workshops, training sessions, evaluation visits, and tool development activities.

NSF CIVIC kickoff workshop with DRA partner — Co-PI Qing Miao, Co-PI Jim Fugate, and Deaf community partner Diana Pryntz from the Deaf Refugee Advocacy (DRA) group at the NSF CIVIC kickoff workshop, October 2023.

Visit to Monroe County Office of Emergency Management (MCOEM) — Visit to the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management (MCOEM) in December 2023. Elizabeth Hanks from NTID is shown at the bottom right. This was an initial meeting to build the relationship with this community partner, eventually leading to the two deaf summer interns with OEM in the summer of 2024.

Co-PI Jim Fugate visiting DRA group in January 2024 — Co-PI Jim Fugate visit to the Deaf Refugee Advocacy (DRA) group in January 2024. The DRA has been an invaluable partner in the project for evaluating and providing feedback on research projects such as the Deaf map tool and BEACON tool.

RIT HCI student evaluating Deaf Map with RRCD members — RIT Human Computer Interaction (HCI) student Mitchell Ripka evaluates interface design of the SafeSigns tool for a group of Deaf community members from the Rochester Recreation Club for the Deaf (RRCD). At all steps of the research, we have involved our Deaf community partners in evaluation and feedback on tools being designed for the Deaf community.

External evaluators Cooper and Solomon visit Rochester, Feb 2024 — External project evaluators Drs. Audrey Cooper and Caroline Solomon from Gallaudet University, shown on the left with RIT Student Hanifah Nalwoga made a visit to Rochester, NY in February 2024 to provide feedback on all aspects of the project. Their report proved invaluable for guiding project direction.

NTID Emergency Services Summit presentation, May 2024 — Co-PI Jim Fugate discusses the CIVIC project during the NTID Emergency Services Summit in May 2024. This event included local government officials as well as survivors of the Lewiston, Maine shooting who were deaf community members directly impacted by lack of services during emergencies. It was a significant outreach opportunity for the project.

Deaf interns working at MCOEM, Summer 2024 — Deaf interns working at the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management (MCOEM) in the summer of 2024. This was a significant achievement, training two deaf students to work directly with Public Safety professionals at the MCOEM.

Deaf Community Communication Catalog (DC3) page — A picture of the Deaf Community Communication Catalog (DC3) developed by co-PI Dr. Jason Rotoli. Development of DC3 and associated research to assess its ability to allow Public Safety officials to communicate with Deaf community members was a significant activity during the current reporting period.

BEACON tool image from NTID CAT team — The BEACON (Broad Emergency Alert Communication Online Network) tool, developed by researchers from NTID’s Center for Access Technology (CAT). BEACON is being designed to enable Deaf community members to receive emergency notifications using haptic, visual, and other non-auditory cues, with the goal of future commercialization.

SafeSigns tool screenshot for hazard reporting — A screenshot of the SafeSigns tool, developed to allow Deaf community members to collect and report hazards in their community. Its design has been directly informed by community feedback and co-design processes.

DHH Emergency Awareness Training module screenshot — A screenshot from the "Inclusion of DHH Community in Emergency Awareness Training” module, developed through research activities. This training is designed to prepare hearing Public Safety officials by teaching DHH culture and the emergency management cycle.

If you are a civil, government, private sector, or other organization or individual interested in collaborating with us on issues related to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and Emergency Management, please contact Brian Tomaszewski.

For more information about the NSF CIVIC program, visit the NSF Civic Innovation Challenge Webpage.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy under Award No. 2322255.