Viking Electronics produces an exceptionally deep and wide range of emergency phones for ultra-reliable point-to-point communications in critical situations.
While shopping for Viking Electronics emergency phones like the Viking 1600-IP Series, you might notice that Viking claims their phones are “ADA Compliant.”
But what does it mean for a Viking emergency phone to be ADA compliant?
If you want to learn more about emergency phones in general, check out our blog: What is an emergency phone?
ADA compliance for Viking emergency phones
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 makes accessibility into law in the United States. Now, we’re not going to get deep into the legal requirements given by the ADA.
We’re just covering some of the features that Viking has built into their emergency phones to make them accessible according to ADA requirements.
One of the foundational beliefs expressed in the ADA is that devices should be able to be used by people of different abilities.
Viking emergency phones have a “Call Connected” light for hearing challenged people so they have a visual indication of the emergency phone’s status. In emergency phone mode, the light is off when the phone is idle, the light blinks during dialing, and the light is on and steady when connected. When the call is done, the light goes off again.
They have Grade 2 Braille labels for visually challenged people to be able to identify the emergency phone without seeing it.
To make the emergency phone usable by physically challenged individuals, they have a single push-button to call for help. Having a more complicated UI than one button to press could pose a critical challenge for users at the best of times, let alone in an emergency situation.
For voice challenged individuals, Viking emergency phones transmit a location ID to emergency personnel, letting them know where the user is without needing the user to say a thing. This location ID can be an identifier code of 1 to 6 digits or a prerecorded voice message.
Note that ADA compliance doesn’t only apply to the emergency phone itself. It also depends on the location of installation (e.g., in an elevator or in a public space) and how the phone is installed (e.g., how far off the ground is it placed). Also, importantly, the ADA isn’t the only code that must be followed. Different local and state jurisdictions have different codes and requirements.
But when it comes to accessible emergency phones, Viking Electronics is a great choice.