On May 12, 2020, the FCC released a report about the August 7, 2019 Emergency Alert System (EAS) nationwide test.
The report concluded that EAS is largely an effective alerting tool. With respect to accessibility issues, the report identified concerns about adequate audio quality, appropriate crawl speed for readability, high contrast text and background colors, and coordination of alert crawls with closed captioning. The FCC will continue to promote accessible EAS messaging in the outreach conducted prior to any upcoming nationwide EAS test.
Links to the Report:
URL: https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-report-2019-nationwide-emergency-alert-test
Word: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-364279A1.docx
PDF: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-364279A1.pdf
Text: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-364279A1.txt
For general information, visit https://www.fcc.gov/emergency-alert-system. For specific questions, please contact Maureen Bizhko, Attorney Advisor, Policy & Licensing Division, PSHSB, at 202-418-0011 or Maureen.Bizhko@fcc.gov. Individuals who use videophones and are fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) may call the FCC’s ASL Consumer Support Line at 844-432-2275 (videophone).