New Yorkers could start texting 911 by next summer — more than two years after the city originally expected to launch the new emergency system, says The New York Daily News.
Advocates for people who are deaf and other New Yorkers unable to make emergency voice calls say the new text-to-911 service, which was supposed to be available in early 2018, can’t come soon enough.
Current 911 services aren’t accessible for the estimated 208,000 deaf and hard-of-hearing people who live and work in the five boroughs. Texting 911 would also help people with communications or speech disabilities, as well as victims of domestic violence who may feel unsafe calling 911.
Margaret Arnold, a deaf interpreter, described in sign language a terrifying moment when she was stranded outside Washington, D.C., and could only reach 911 when someone else called for her. The interim service will be built on the current analog 911 system, which is also undergoing a massive upgrade. Texting will be part of the so-called “Next Generation 911” system once that is implemented, now expected in 2024.
