People who are deaf or hard of hearing face a high risk for fire and fire-related injury. The hearing world dominates so much of the way our society is structured physically and socially.
Fire safety is an overlooked issue among people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They do not receive the same media, educational, or industry attention as does the hearing population. Advancement in the prevention of fire injury and death over the past century has not addressed the fire safety needs of the hearing impaired community. The most significant of those inventions is the audible smoke alarm. Smoke alarms have been credited with saving thousands of lives from fires each year, but however remain ineffective for those who cannot hear. Additionally, traditional fire safety education does not address the unique needs of the hearing impaired community, and more than likely will not reach this population due to the lack of effective distribution channels.
By raising the level of fire safety awareness for the deaf and hard of hearing community, and for the surrounding population, we can eliminate many fire risks. Groups representing people with hearing impairments must collaborate with the fire service to educate each other and to reduce the risks posed by fires to the hard of hearing.
The most pressing fire safety issue for people who are deaf or hard of hearing is whether they will be alerted of danger in time to escape.
Please take a minute to look at the links to see what steps you can take to help the deaf and hard of hearing in your community.
http://www.krownmfg.com/us/
http://www.krownmfg.com/us/products/ka300kit.html
