Author
John Nguyen
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Author
John Nguyen
Share
Connectivity plays a crucial role in our daily lives. We live in a world where calling, texting, and social media are regular occurrence. Unfortunately, when a sudden service outage occurs, there will naturally be multitudes of problems. On February 22, 2024, AT&T had a nationwide service outage that affects much more than just the Kansas City area. Other providers, according to Down Detector, were reportedly having issues as well, but providers like T-Mobile and Verizon have noted no outages on their end, and that it was most likely from people trying to call affected AT&T customers. This is quite an ordeal for everyone affected, but it can be especially tough for people with disabilities who rely on these services to go to work, get medical help, and keep up with their daily lives.
Down Detector – Cellular Providers
Graphs of service outage reports for various websites
Hidden Struggles
For people with disabilities, a reliable and accessible network can be considered a lifeline in this era of technology. Many Smart Phone features employ the use of Internet, which is provided from a cellular data plan. While some accessibility tools, like Screen Reader, or Text-to-Speech do not normally require internet, more modern solutions, like “Be My Eyes,” which allows a sighted person to assist a blind person via camera streaming, might become unusable. A disruption in cellular service leaves people with disabilities in a state of uncertainty.
Service Outage and the Workplace
Because of the AT&T service outage, people with disabilities may have more difficulties in a work-related setting. All of a sudden, these individuals may not be able to call someone for assistance, nor would they be able to use relevant apps to assist with accommodations. They essentially become people that are navigating an unmapped city. This can cause workers to potentially miss deadlines or run into problems with tasks. Each person, disability or not, will also never be able to fully understand each individual’s struggle as well. Without the service, this can cause awkward misunderstandings and miscommunications.
AT&T Service Outage Makes Hurdles
One of the accommodations that we might not think about is transportation. Our very own transportation services would be affected because we would not be able to call the consumer to let them know that the driver arrived. Some people may be using transportation services daily for assistance in reaching work, or perhaps even reaching a doctor’s appointment. These individuals will suddenly feel stuck, and in some cases, any medical conditions might gradually get worse if a driver is unable to reach them.
Needing Accessibility
The recent AT&T service outage serves as a grim reminder of the challenges that people with disabilities face day by day. As technology continues to evolve and encompass our lives, it is important that accessibility remains at the forefront of our efforts. By thinking about the needs of people with disabilities during service problems, we can strive to create a better future that includes and benefits everyone, no matter their abilities.
