Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Wireless Technologies

Dear Wireless RERC Visitors,

It has been brought to our attention that some of our visitors may have to enable certain accessibility features on our site.  If you do, we encourage you to click the "Accessibility" link at the top right of this page to learn about the access keys.  Alternatively, if you hold down "Ctrl" and the "+" or "-" key on your keyboard you'll be able to increase or decrease size of the text on webpages within your browser window.  Thank you for visiting!

Online Accessibility Information Resources

In response to consumers with disabilities unsure about which wireless devices and services best fit their needs and abilities, the Wireless RERC developed “Your Guide to Choosing a Cell Phone” in 2004.

Today, all of the major wireless manufacturers and service providers, as well as some third party resources, maintain websites offering accessibility information.  These websites are powerful tools for gathering and comparing information about available products and services for customers with disabilities.

At the same time, navigating these sites, and the sheer amount of available information, can be intimidating.  Following a consumer study, the Wireless RERC compiled the following list of links to accessibility resources.

2010 Design Competition at Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech

During the 2010 Spring semester, Wireless RERC staff mentored Industrial Design students at both Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) through an exercise on universal design of handheld wireless products.  Students worked in teams of 3-5 to explore the unique abilities and wireless needs of three personas:  Elizabeth, who is 85 years old and has very low vision due to macular degeneration, Michael, a 15 year old student who sustained a brain injury from a car accident, and Zach, a 24 year old army veteran who lost the use of his right (dominant) arm due to a combat injury.  On April 12, 2010, Brian Jones (far left) and Jim Mueller (second from left) participated in the final team presentations by Georgia Tech’s junior class.

Quick Links

• Survey of User Needs (SUN) - A survey to help us understand how people with disabilities use wireless products like cell phones and text messengers.

SOT Proceedings

The Wireless Emergency Communications  2009 State of Technology Conference Proceedings are available.

The conference had 65 speakers on panels and sessions that discussed the accessibility of emergency communications and alerts for people with disabilities. Among the topics covered were technological solutions, user needs, policy and regulatory aspects, social networks, emergency management, and deployment strategies to ensure that people with disabilities are included in the development of next generation emergency communications.

Speakers at the conference included representatives from the Federal Communications Commission, FEMA, GEMA, Department of Homeland Security headquarters, CTIA-The Wireless Association, Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT), Gallaudet University, National Emergency Number Association, Cambridge University, Research in Motion, National Council on Disabilities, National Organization on Disability, and the WGBH National Center for Accessible Media.

Wireless Emergency Communications in American Sign Language

Participants discuss the benefits and challenges of sending videos in American Sign Language (ASL) to cell phones for public emergency alerts during focus group on February 28, 2009. Participants were deaf and conversant in ASL. Interpreters help Wireless RERC staff communicate with participants.

RERC Community Outreach

Visitors to the RERC’s booth at the Mexican Consulate's Binational Health Week in Atlanta wear eye shades, earplugs and gloves to experience some of the challenges people with disabilities confront when using wireless devices.