In national emergencies, is the state’s early warning system universally accessible?
Summary of results
It is, in itself, alarming that 60 percent (19) of the countries that responded to this question have early warning systems that have not been designed to be universally accessible. And that only three countries (Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK), together with New York state, actually do. (Only Australia does not consider itself a member of this category only because our respondent could not prove the existence of ìeasy readî formats.)
A particular hurdle in making such systems universally accessible is reaching those who are deaf or have hearing impairments. Of the six countries singling out this issue in particular, three (Belgium, Ireland and Italy) indicate that efforts are currently being made to address it. Australia already employs SMS and, of these three, Belgium’s “Crisis Alert by Text” system will start to be implemented in the last quarter of 2011. The delivery of a visual warning at home will, however, be predicated on possession of a suitable apparatus to convey that warning, for example a mobile phone or a television, and that it is turned on: this is not, of course, something that can be guaranteed.
The state’s early warning system is universally accessible to all those with disabilities.
The early warning system is accessible only to those with certain disabilities, for example hearing disabilities, or only at certain times of day.
The early warning system has not been designed to be universally accessible to all those with disabilities.
 Albania (ALB) |
Not universally accessible |
 Argentina (ARG) |
Not universally accessible |
 Australia (AUS) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 Austria (AUT) |
Not universally accessible |
 Belgium – Federal State Walloon (BEL) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) |
Not universally accessible |
 Bulgaria (BUL) |
Not universally accessible |
 Canada (CAN) |
 |
 Croatia (CRO) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 Czech Republic (CZE) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 Denmark (DNK) |
Universally accessible |
 Estonia (EST) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 Finland (FIN) |
Not universally accessible |
 France (FRA) |
Not universally accessible |
 Germany (DEU) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 Hungary (HUN) |
Not universally accessible |
 Ireland (IRL) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 Israel (ISR) |
Not universally accessible |
 Italy (ITA) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 Kosovo (RKS) |
Not universally accessible |
 Macedonia (MKD) |
Not universally accessible |
 Mexico (MEX) |
Not universally accessible |
 Montenegro (MNE) |
Not universally accessible |
 Netherlands (NED) |
Universally accessible |
 Portugal (POR) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 Romania (ROU) |
Not universally accessible |
 Serbia (SRB) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 Slovakia (SVK) |
Not universally accessible |
 Slovenia (SLO) |
Only with certain disabilities |
 South Africa (RSA) |
Not universally accessible |
 Spain (ESP) |
Not universally accessible |
 Sweden (SWE) |
Not universally accessible |
 Switzerland (SUI) |
Not universally accessible |
 Turkey (TUR) |
|
 United Kingdom (UK) |
Universally accessible |
 United States – California (US CA) |
Only with certain disabilities |
| United States – New York (US NY state) |
Universally accessible |
