In an emergency, we often rely on emergency services. And we take accessible emergency calls for granted – it’s easy to make a quick call. But for the Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing, calling emergency services is not as straightforward. There isn’t always what’s called Meaningful Accessibility. The result of this is clear: People with disabilities are more vulnerable in emergency situations, and experience particularly high rates of mortality in these contexts compared to the non-disabled (source: World Health Organization, WHO).
Our solution enable connection to calls for various under-served communities, including the Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and those with speech impairments. Meaningful Accessibility is essential during a catastrophic event, and it is equally essential on a day-to-day basis.
nWise RTT Bridge
nWise RTT Bridge is a modular solution that enables Next Generation Emergency Services to handle calls using RTT to existing conference bridges. These are the main features of nWise RTT Bridge:
- Integrates incoming RTT calls with the infrastructure of the Emergency Service.
- Directs calls from applications that use RTT to Emergency Services, without a Relay Service interface.
- Integrates into existing SIP-based architecture, minimizing changes to the operational environment.
- Adds RTT conference, which is key when first respondents need to do a call transfer and consultations during emergencies.
- Works, in conjunction with the MMX Enterprise Suite, to provide a full-service solution to communication with Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing individuals.
Meaningful Accessibility to Public Safety
At nWise, we aim to address this imbalance and give people who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing the reassurance that they too can rapidly access Emergency Services. RTT makes emergency services accessible to everyone. Since we set out on our journey in 2008, RTT and increased accessibility to Emergency Services have formed an integral part of what we do.
By Meaningful Accessibility we mean more than texting or faxing, which incredibly, are what currently pass for “accessibility” in a number of countries. Meaningful Accessibility simply means that everyone should be able to make an emergency call and get the help they need in a timely manner.
The basics: RTT is a Text Standard
We are proud to have developed our proven solution, nWise RTT Bridge. It uses standardized text known as RTT, and it enables emergency services and PSAPs to receive calls from Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing individuals that use RTT, and to effectively add RTT calls to a conference, do warm transfers and effectively handle RTT calls.
Real-Time Text has become a global standard for transmitting text; it means that text characters are transmitted as they are being typed. It is rapidly replacing TTY/textphones and other non-standardized text in telecom services in Europe and North America, such as Telecom Relay Services and Emergency Services.
RTT to Emergency Services
The United States and the EU have approved regulatory changes to enforce accessibility to emergency services by people who are Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing. RTT is the technology that is used.
nWise is something of an authority on the issue. For several years, we’ve been deeply involved in discussions promoted by the EENA (European Emergency Number Association) and NENA (North American Emergency Number Association). We are regulars at conferences, giving demonstrations and participating in panel discussions that deal with accessibility to the Next Generation of Emergency Services.
Next generation Emergency Services – NG911 and NG112
Most emergency systems in North America (911) and Europe (112) were built using analog and not digital technology. PSAPs are being upgraded to IP-based technology, which is also known as Next Generation, or NG911 and NG112. This transition from voice to data will provide enhanced emergency services for all of us. nWise works actively to provide meaningful accessibility to Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing individuals.
So Why Use nWise RTT Bridge?
nWise has a proven track record in this field, and our mission has always been to enable communication for all. With nWise RTT Bridge, we bring this mission to a sector of society that has been particularly vulnerable. MMX is our standard communication platform used to provide online communication services using Total Conversation, which includes RTT, with a focus on usability and accessibility.
We are experts in the technology, having delivered critical long-term installations worldwide and provided RTT services in accordance with the RFC 4103 standard since 2005.
To find out more about how we can help you with access to emergency services with nWise RTT Bridge, contact us here. To learn more about these services, click here or fill out the form so that we can give you a call to discuss further.
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