Conversations with disabled community members about disasters have made something clear: we need an extreme weather notification system designed with access in mind from the very beginning.
NotifyChicago is a public system that issues text and email alerts for severe weather and other emergencies. It runs through Smart911, a private service that allows users to create profiles with personal information (such as their address, phone number, and medical details) which can then be shared with 9-1-1 dispatchers. While these alerts communicate critical information, many disabled people, particularly disabled people of color, may feel uncomfortable sharing personal data through such platforms. This concern is not unfounded. For communities that have historically been over-surveilled, over-policed, or underserved by emergency systems, requests for personal information can feel risky rather than protective. At the same time, these are often the very groups who most need timely, accessible alerts, especially given the layered barriers disabled people face during disasters (see “Higher casualties among disabled people are NOT inevitable: Part 1”).
This tension led me and Akemi, the main facilitator of this project, to think more critically about how access to these alerts might be expanded.
We began experimenting with posting screenshots of alerts to the We Survive Together Instagram stories (@wstchicago), allowing people to view updates without having to create a Smart911 account. This felt like a step in the right direction, but it quickly raised another issue: Instagram stories are not automatically screen-reader accessible. In response, I started using my laptop’s built-in screen reader to record voiceovers, which I layer over the alert screenshots. This way, people can either read the alerts or hear them, expanding access across different needs and preferences.
Engaging with these alerts so intentionally, I’ve become more aware of how often extreme weather is occurring in our city. From snowstorms and high winds to flooding–and with the heat wave season still ahead–these events are becoming more common and more intense as climate change accelerates (see “Introduction: Disasters are becoming more frequent, intense, and extensive). By sharing these alerts, we hope that someone might come across a story and have the opportunity to prepare–whether that means shifting plans, charging devices, gathering supplies, or checking in with loved ones.
You could think of this as a form of “crip hacking,” a term used in disability communities to describe creative, community-driven solutions to accessibility barriers. Drawing on the work of Aimi Hamraie and Kelly Fritsch, this approach reflects how disabled people often create their own solutions within systems that were not built with them in mind.1 Rather than following dominant models of design, these practices involve reworking and repurposing existing tools. As a result, disabled people participate in building new ways of navigating the world while also pushing against the structures that make access uneven in the first place.
Through conversations about the need for more direct communication around weather conditions, concerns about data privacy, and the everyday realities of navigating disasters, we drew on collective crip wisdom to rework an existing system into something more accessible, even if imperfect.
Indeed, this “hack” comes with limitations. The screen-reader voice I use can sound robotic and choppy. Sometimes alerts come through while I am asleep, meaning there is a delay before I can post them. Other times, I prioritize speed, recording voiceovers in public spaces where background noise is unavoidable. These limitations matter, especially when timing and clarity are crucial.
There are also broader access barriers to consider. Not everyone has reliable internet access to view Instagram stories. Others may find the platform itself inaccessible, or may not want to engage with social media companies that collect user data. In other words, while this effort expands access for some, it still leaves others out.
In my ideal world, we would build an entirely new system for extreme weather alerts–one designed with disabled people from the outset. It would not require users to share personal information or rely on internet access. Instead, it could function more like an Amber Alert: widely distributed, immediate, and available in multiple formats (e.g., audio, visual, and text-based), so that people can receive information in the ways that work best for them.
This vision raises a larger question: what would emergency preparedness look like if disabled people were included at every stage of planning and implementation? Designing with access at the center would not only support disabled communities. Rather, it would make everyone safer.
Until that kind of system exists, we will continue sharing alerts through the @wstchicago Instagram account. If you are interested in receiving these alerts, be sure to follow the account and turn on story notifications for real-time updates.
Because when it comes to extreme weather, preparedness is collective–we survive together.
- Hamraie, A., & Fritsch, K. (2025). Crip Technoscience Manifesto. Catalyst (San Diego, Calif.), 5(1), 1–33. https://doi.org/10.28968/cftt.v5i1.29607 ↩︎
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