Kirby Wilson in the Tampa Bay Times article, "The Tampa Bay area is home to one of the nation's largest deaf and hard of hearing populations. Advocates wonder why it isn't more accessible" explores the vast amount of individuals present in Tampa Bay who are either deaf or hard of hearing and their limiting options.
Text-to-911 can be a life and death situation for the deaf because of its imperfections.
Individuals who are deaf, especially those without hearing aids or cochlear implants are unable to speak on the cellphone. Consequently, the Text-to-911 service should be quick and effective for individuals especially from the Deaf Community; however, this is not the case. Imperfected resources such as this can put Deaf individuals in serious danger.
2. Businesses are not complying with the Americans with Disabilites Act.
"The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public." -National Network: Information Guidance and Training on the Americans with Disabilities Act https://adata.org/learn-about-ada
For example, a deaf individual who is sick may need a sign language interpreter in the doctor's office with them. If the doctor's office does not provide this service the patient can only file a complaint to the Disability Act, which is a long process for just going to get something checked out.
3. There are not enough qualified interpreters.
Qualified interpreters are needed in the classrooms in Pinellas County, Tampa Bay. There are not many qualified interpreters because the state "does not require interpreters in schools to obtain certification from the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf" (Wilson, 2019).
Also, along with all these disadvantages, deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals are "marginalized across the state" (Wilson, 2019).
"The public in general needs to be aware that there are deaf and hard of hearing people around them,"... "It's just a matter of education." - Jennifer Boggess, the lead youth and family support specialist at the Family Center on Deafness
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