Social Media, Public Emergencies, and Disability

Longitudinal survey research data from two surveys conducted in 2010-2011 and 2012-2013, respectively, on the use of social media and other media and devices during public emergencies by people with disabilities are analyzed. The survey data show that television remains the primary means for receiving and verifying public alerts. In the two years between the two emergency communications surveys the alerting methods used to receive emergency alerts have shifted towards wider use of mobile and Internet based technologies while the methods used to verify alert information have remained relatively stable. Rates of social media use for receiving and verifying alert information on the dominant social networking platforms have more than doubled.