Our team was inspired by the challenge presented by the Center on Disability and Development to support and assist those with disabilities throughout the notification, evacuation, and sheltering during an emergency on campus.
Current policy in many campus buildings does not adequately address evacuating people with physical disabilities during and emergency. Staff is instructed to assist wheelchair bound or other people unable to use stairs to the stairwell, leave them there, then evacuate themselves and notify first responders of the disabled person needing assistance.
We feel this isn’t good enough. An app already exists that sends a SMS text with GPS coordinates to a pre-set number. We propose promoting this app to people who may need assistance, and ensuring first responders get that information. This insures disabled persons get the help they need even if they are alone when an emergency occurs. UPD and Building Supervisors will receive the information and can coordinate the most appropriate response within existing guidelines.
The AssitMe app can be promoted via e-mail blasts, signage, and during new student conferences. Disability Services personnel can be educated to promote the app when people sign up for accommodation services. This combination of policy and existing technology can help Texas A&M provide Aggies the services they deserve. Future accommodations could include a standalone app tailored specifically to disabled Aggies with GIS mapping of emergency shelters on campus. This could lead to voice or visual instructions where to go during specific emergency types within the app.
Challenges: Facility supervisors can be tasked with providing shelter information for their buildings to GIS Services. Electronic availability of this data is needed for future advancements. We also must insure UPD can receive text information, and disseminate GPS coordinates to first responders.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.