Emergency alerts now come in ASL

Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Travis County Office of Emergency Management have partnered with Deaf Link to launch an emergency alert system for the deaf community. The Accessible Hazard Alert System, or AHAS, “has the capability to send accessible alerting messages to registered residents before, during and after an emergency or disaster.” Subscribers receive an accessible message in ASL and English voice and text that includes details about the emergency and suggested actions to take. Users can receive the messages on their personal computers, cell phones, smartphones, tablets, or wireless Braille readers. Juan Ortiz, the director of OHSEM, said the AHAS system “allows us to reach another part of our community that we can inform and protect during a crisis or other emergency events.”