09/12/2026
Deaf Awareness: Did you know?
On September 11, 2001, deaf and hard of hearing people were among those working in and around the World Trade Center.
Their experiences offer an important reminder about something we don't always think about during an emergency: How do you know what is happening if the information everyone else is receiving isn't accessible to you?
Deaf survivor Edwin King was working in the South Tower when the building shook. In the documentary 9/11 Fear in Silence: The Forgotten Underdogs, King described the confusion he experienced as coworkers left the area while he still did not understand what was happening.
Deaf filmmaker Jade Bryan documented King's experience and those of other deaf and hard of hearing survivors and witnesses, preserving an important part of the history of that day. https://www.jadefilm.com/911-fear-in-silence
Twenty-five years later, their stories remain an important reminder: emergency information must reach everyone. Visual alerts, text-based information and accessible emergency planning aren't conveniences when lives are at stake.
Communication access is emergency access.
