Lithuania to introduce accessible emergency alerts for people with disabilities

Lithuania’s Fire and Rescue Department (PAGD) will soon provide emergency information in text, audio, and sign language formats to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities during crises, LRT reports.

Evaldas Tamašauskas, head of PAGD’s Civil Protection Department, told a parliamentary Social Affairs and Labour Committee meeting that authorities had agreed with national broadcaster LRT to adapt emergency alerts—such as “yellow,” “red,” and “white” warnings—for broader accessibility.

“We met with LRT and agreed to prepare audio versions of these alerts. The audio is already done, and LRT will now add sign language. When an alert is issued, TV broadcasts will pause to display the message in text, sign language, and audio,” Tamašauskas said.

Indrė Širvinskaitė, president of the Lithuanian Disability Forum (LNF), highlighted gaps in accessibility during a May 20 air raid alert, when some people with disabilities struggled to find shelter or assistance due to a lack of subtitles or sign language interpretations.

She noted that only about 9% of bomb shelters in Lithuania are fully accessible, and municipal maps often fail to indicate which shelters accommodate people with disabilities. Širvinskaitė also stressed the need for clear guidelines for both individuals with disabilities and their caregivers during emergencies.

Tamašauskas confirmed that a national database now tracks registered individuals with disabilities, their caregivers, and required assistance, enabling municipalities to use this information for evacuations. He added that local authorities have been briefed on incorporating these details into evacuation plans.