Type of Project: Funded project
Symposium on Barrier-free emergency call

In an emergency, it is sometimes minutes of life and death that decide: the faster you get help, the better. But it is precisely this time that people with hearing loss often lose because, in spite of political declarations of intent, emergency calls can still not be easily made barrier-free.
To date, there is no barrier-free emergency call with a nationwide single number - although such an agreement is recorded in the coalition agreement of the Federal Government.
A few federal states offer an emergency SMS, whereby an SMS is by law not an emergency call, because as a rule emergency call centers can not receive SMS. It is a relief for thought the transition. But there is no secure transmission to the control center here. Some SMS did not arrive.
The only nationwide single agent is an emergency fax. But faxes are no longer contemporary in times of modern technology. If an emergency outside of your own four Walls occur - and no fax is available- no call for help can be placed. Many people with hearing impairments no longer have a fax machine, but a mobile phone, computer or mobile phone Laptop.
We see as a possible alternative, the establishment of an emergency call app - but it continues to lack in the implementation of a barrier-free emergency call to a clear legal regulation.
There are already providers of emergency calling apps on the market, e.g. "HandHelp", "My Emergency Call", "Proegon SOS", "Deaf Call", etc. It is still unclear whether such emergency apps will provide a permanent solution or will not be permanently available.
The German Deaf Association e.V. organizes a symposium on the subject of "Barrier-free emergency call" to discuss the problem of emergency call apps, to inform about the latest developments and to find or find potential solutions for implementation. The event will take place on 29.11.2016 at the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Wilhelmstr. 49, held in Berlin.
The German Deaf Association compiles a final report and creates a brochure from it.