As a member of the Class of 2002 and one of two Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing (DHH) staff at South Plantation High School (SPHS), I share the experiences of our DHH students. I was surprised the district commissioned an audit of the audiovisual alert system without seeking input from those most affected—DHH students, parents, and faculty. After significant advocacy led to the system’s approval and installation, the equipment sat unused for months before finally being tested and implemented. This delay wasted valuable time and resources that could have sped up deployment. When activated in the 2024/25 school year, the system worked well, providing real-time emergency notifications (e.g., LOCKDOWN, HOLD, SECURE).

Later, the district installed a new alert system across all schools, featuring devices (possibly Centegix or another provide) with color-coded emergency status boxes. Since then, the AudioEnhancement system has become secondary. Now, visual alerts on AudioEnhancement monitors must be updated manually at the main terminal, as the system doesn’t sync with the new districtwide solution. This is a serious safety concern—not just for DHH students, but also for those with undiagnosed hearing loss or disabilities affecting situational awareness, such as ADHD or autism. Requiring staff to update alerts in person during emergencies could also put them at risk, as they may have to leave safe locations to do so. It is unclear whether the two systems operate separately due to technical issues, oversight, or unwillingness on the providers to integrate.

Additionally, many AudioEnhancement monitors, including the one in my classroom, are also now currently out of sync with the main terminal due to missed updates and lack of technical support. As a result, there are areas on campus where students and staff may not receive timely emergency alerts, especially if they can’t hear public address announcements. As someone who cannot hear the PA system, I—and my students—depend on these visual alerts for our safety. Had auditors consulted those directly affected, their findings might have been very different.

As a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing—and as an employee with a documented hearing loss—this issue is not theoretical for me; it is lived experience. I depend on visual emergency alerts for my own safety and for the safety of my students. For more than six months, I lacked reliable access due to a broken AudioEnhancement monitor and ongoing connectivity issues, despite repeated requests and advocacy. During that time, I was effectively excluded from timely emergency information.
Although the AudioEnhancement system was eventually approved and installed, the equipment remained unused for months before being tested and implemented. This delay wasted time and resources and significantly slowed the rollout of a system that was already long overdue. Once activated during the 2024–2025 school year, the system functioned well and provided clear, real‑time visual alerts such as LOCKDOWN, HOLD, and SECURE—demonstrating its effectiveness and necessity.
Subsequently, the district implemented a new districtwide emergency alert system with color‑coded visual devices. Since that rollout, AudioEnhancement has become secondary and no longer syncs automatically, requiring manual updates at the main terminal. This lack of integration poses a serious safety risk, particularly for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and others with disabilities affecting situational awareness. Expecting staff to manually update alerts during an emergency is unrealistic and unsafe.
Compounding this issue, many AudioEnhancement monitors—including the one in my classroom—are currently out of sync due to missed updates and insufficient technical support. As a result, there are areas on campus where students and staff may not receive timely emergency information at all. For those of us who cannot hear PA announcements, this is not an inconvenience—it is a critical safety failure.
Had Deaf and Hard of Hearing educators and students been meaningfully consulted, the findings may have been different. Accessibility systems must be functional, maintained, and fully integrated. Anything less puts lives at risk.