People with hearing disabilities (PwHDs) often do not receive the warnings sent out to the general community during emergencies. Our goal was to identify the obstacles preventing PwHDs from accessing vital information in routine circumstances and during general emergencies.

This study was conducted from November 2018 through July 2020. We used a mixed-methods approach. The qualitative portion consisted of a standardized, open-ended interview with 19 PwHDs from various socio-economic backgrounds, religions, areas of residence and levels of hearing disability about coping with emergency situations in Israel. Grounded theory was used for analysis of the findings. The quantitative portion consisted of a cross-sectional survey of 288 PwHDs focused on perceptions of their self-efficacy in dealing with emergencies, methods of communication and accessibility of services. Using the Qualtrics survey platform with Israel sign language videoclips that included subtitles in straightforward Hebrew increased the participation. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS ver.23.

Most respondents explained that their responses differed depending on whether the emergency is collective or personal.

1. Collective emergencies: Events such as earthquakes or wars that affect everyone. Most solutions provided to the general population are not accessible to or suitable for PwHDs.

2. Private emergencies: PwHDs often encounter personal emergencies such as difficulty asking for help on the street, the inability to contact call centers or the difficulty in obtaining accessible information from organizations.

The distinction between types of emergencies requires the development of different resources for dealing with routine issues and public emergencies. The latter affect PwHDs less than private emergencies. Standards of accessibility must be established for places providing services both during the day and at night, such as emergency rooms, telephone service centers, clinics, etc. These standards are the basis that which will allow for PWHDs to communicate independently.