Mitchell Participates in National Academies Science Panel on Emergency Warning Systems Research; Presents at CTIA Wireless Conference

Posted September 22, 2016

Helena Mitchell, executive director of the Center for Advance Communications Policy (CACP) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, attended a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine workshop on “The Future of Emergency Alert and Warning Systems: Research Directions.”

Sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the September 1, 2016 workshop focused on results from DHS-sponsored wireless emergency alerts research. Mitchell, who is Regents Researcher in the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts School of Public Policy, was an invited participant.

She discussed findings from two DHS funded research and development grants to CACP and how these research and development results have contributed to improving emergency alerts that are accessible to people with disabilities. Her presentation also identified research gaps and suggestions for future research and development activities to create a platform that includes ASL, phone alerting features, and accessible solutions for timely and effective alerting.

Mitchell was also an invited speaker at the 2016 Cellular Telephone Industries Association (CTIA) Super Mobility Convention on September 6 - 8, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CTIA is a leading international conference in the wireless industry’s trade communication sectors, including cellular, personal communication services and enhanced specialized mobile radio.

Mitchell gave remarks for the CTIA Accessibility Outreach Initiative Forum on the topic “5G and Its Impact on the Accessibility Community.” The session discussed 5G technologies and their expected capabilities, including what this means for accessibility. The promise of next-generation benefits for the consumer as we move closer to a connected future was also explored.