Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities
How can medications and treatments, such as dialysis, be sustained during and after an emergency incident?
How will large numbers of people with special needs be evacuated from a location if a major emergency occurs? And where would they go?
What kind of transportation for people with disabilities will be available during evacuation?
Will people with service animals and pets be able to get shelter?
How will people who are deaf or hard of hearing find out about disaster warnings since most are given using a siren or on the radio.
These are the kinds of questions that are being looked at by area planners, emergency responders, elected officials, advocacy organizations, and people with disabilities. The devastation wrought by hurricane Katrina, and the terrorist attacks of 9/11, has highlighted the importance of assisting people with disabilities in disaster preparedness and response.
By working together to improve communication, cooperation, and coordination, we can ensure that everyone has access and support during an emergency or evacuation.
Learn more…
- Online Resources for Americans with Disabilities (http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=213) includes a section on emergency preparedness.
- The Community Preparedness Website Project (www.preparenow.org) – Learn more about how to support the special needs of vulnerable populations in disasters. It includes a checklist for facility preparation & inventory of neighborhood resources and information on how to prepare for disaster for people with special medical needs.
- Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2005/
saving_lives.htm) - Provides an overview of steps the Federal Government should take to build a solid and resilient infrastructure that will enable the government to include the diverse populations of people with disabilities in emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security programs.
Monica Haines Benkhedda, mhaines@baltometro.org or 410-732-0500 x1047.
About 1 in 5 people in the U.S. have some kind of disability and 1 in 10 have a severe disability. This number does not include the elderly, many of which have special needs. - 2000 U.S. Census |
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Last Updated on Friday, 05 June 2009 11:07