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In some kinds of emergencies, you might not have electricity or internet. Of course, TTYs need electricity, but most have back-up batteries so you can use them when the power is out and still make calls.

If you’re using a cordless phone they will not generally work without electricity and most do not have a back-up battery. But if you use a videophone, laptop, computer notebook, iPhone, Blackberry, or other kinds of mobile devices that operate on battery power, then you might still be able to call 911 through IP or VRS.

Computers, videophones, mobile devices, and relay are convenient, but the most reliable method of contacting 911 is through a landline phone or TTY.

The future of 911 emergency call technology probably will look different than it looks right now. And the future is almost here. It’s called NG911. The NG stands for "Next Generation".

A long time ago, if you were driving down a highway and there was a wreck that caused a fire, you might exit the highway as quickly as possible to get to a pay phone to call the fire department.

Now, of course, everyone who saw what happened might just call 911 from their mobile phones.

With NG911, though, you could shoot photos or even video with your mobile device and send it. Or you could text details and send that without having to speak to a 911 operator.

Although the 911 systems that most places still have are built around telephone technology and cannot handle text, data, still images, or video, the NG911 will do all that and more.

NG911 is internet-based. It will make it a lot easier to incorporate new technologies as they are developed. The Department of Transportation is the main federal government agency that is implementing the Next Generation 911 Initiative, which it says will establish the foundation for public emergency services in the world of wireless communication and will enable an enhanced 911 system that will work with any communications device.

I hope you enjoyed watching this ASL video podcast. You can subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. You can subscribe for free through iTunes or by going to ASL.DisabilityLawLowdown.com

The Disability Law Lowdown is sponsored by the Disability and Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTAC) a network of ten ADA Centers around the country. The ADA Centers provide training and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act and other disability-related laws.

If you have questions or would like more information, you can call us at 1-800-949-4232 (V/TTY).

The ADA Centers are supported by a grant from NIDRR.