Public Safety

The Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing helps individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind 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, Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind.

Weather Alert Radios

Weather Alert Radios are designed to alert North Carolina's Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind to severe weather events and other emergencies. These radios are programmed specifically to a person's area of residency to assure that only the localized weather alerts are announced and not from other regions of the state. Additionally the weather radio can work with alerting devices to provide visual and vibrating signals to call attention to severe weather events and/or man-made disasters.

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. Please review document about these two services.

Contact

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