Public Safety

The Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing helps individuals who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind or Hard of Hearing prepare for severe weather and other catastrophic emergencies. DSDHH assists emergency response agencies, law enforcement, governmental agencies and community organizations develop and maintain systems of communication to make sure alerting and response services are accessible to people who are Deaf, Deaf-Blind or Hard of Hearing.

Weather Alert Radios

Weather Alert Radios are designed to alert North Carolina’s Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Deaf-Blind to severe weather events and other emergencies. These radios are equipped with a pillow shaker and strobe light. They are programmed specifically to a person’s area of residency to assure that only the localized weather alerts are announced and not those from other regions of the state.

Driver Communication Card

The Driver Communication Card alerts the officer to communicate appropriately with the deaf or hard of hearing driver. If you, a Deaf or Hard of Hearing driver, encounter a law enforcement officer, present this card to the officer to let the them know that you are deaf or hard of hearing. State and local law enforcement officers throughout North Carolina are trained to recognize the card and understand its purpose. The Driver Communication card is available to North Carolina licensed drivers who have a hearing loss.

Eligibility

All individuals who have hearing loss, their family members, agencies and organizations that serve them and individuals may ask for our services. We do not charge for these services.

Contact

To apply for these services or for more information about these services please contact your local Regional Center’s Community Accessibility Specialist.