HRA examined emergency preparedness communication for two particularly vulnerable populations: Deaf/hard-of-hearing and older adults. Few emergency preparedness communications are directed to these groups, both of which have complex communication needs. The project was part of a nationwide effort to evaluate and improve public health preparedness and response systems. In conjunction with both a National Advisory Board and a local Community Advisory Board, HRA assessed and improved the content, format, and delivery of preparedness materials and evaluating their effectiveness. UC Berkeley is one of the Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Centers ( PERRCs ) funded by the CDC.

The research team's work informed aspects of a May 2014 report from the National Council on Disability (NCD). Titled "Effective Communications for People with Disabilities: Before, During, and After Emergencies," authors found that emergency communications remain largely inaccessible to people with disabilities, despite legal mandates requiring accessibility. You can link to the report at: http://journals.lww.com/thehearingjournal/Fulltext/2014/07000/Emergency_....