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Assisting People With Disabilities In A
Disaster
The
National Organization on Disability (NOD www.nod.org)
posted information to their web site on September 12, 2001
regarding Disaster Preparedness for People With Disabilities.
The following information is excerpted from this site by the
Great Lakes ADA Center and forwarded to you for your information:
Red
Cross Disaster Preparedness
for People with Disabilities
The American Red Cross presents this 1996 49-page color booklet
as a pdf file on its website. It provides assessment exercises,
supply checklists, and tips for establishing support networks.
http://www.redcross.org/disaster/safety/disability.pdf
(PDF Document....not available on-line in any other format)
Assisting
People With Disabilities In A Disaster
The Federal Emergency Management Administration
(FEMA) offers these
suggestions to keep in mind when making emergency preparations
for people with disabilities.
http://www.fema.gov/r-n-r/assistf.htm
The Illinois Assistive Technology Project
has complied an excellent article for planning your evacuation
and using evacuation chairs. Be sure to see : www.iltech.org/er-evac.htm
Disaster
Preparedness for People with Disabilities
Although these "Tip Sheets"
focus on earthquake safety, they havesignificant
applicability for all types of disaster preparedness for people
with disabilities. Much of the information is also helpful
in preparing for emergencies and disasters such as power outages,
fires, floods, hurricanes, nuclear power plant accidents,
tornados, tsunamis, volcanoes, winter storms and very cold
or very hot weather. This website also provides links to other
publications on disaster preparedness. http://www.jik.com/disaster.html
DP2:
Disabled People and Disaster Planning
The
information on this website was compiled by a California groupaddressing
accessibility problems that many people with disabilitiesexperienced
after the Northridge Earthquake of 1994. Within the group
were individuals with disabilities and individuals from the
disaster planning and response professions. Although this
information originally addresses earthquakes, it also applies
to other kinds of disaster preparedness. It covers:
- How to prepare for people with disabilities
when a disaster is predicted
- How to make emergency shelters more accessible
- How to train rescue workers and law enforcement
to effectively assist people with disabilities
- How to evacuate wheelchair users
- How to disseminate information to people
with disabilities after a disaster
- How to make services accessible after
a disaster http://www.citycent.com/dp2/
- Disaster Planning Information and Suggestions
for Persons with Disabilities and Those Assisting Them
This information was also developed in the
aftermath of the Northridge, CA earthquake in 1994. It includes
information on common needs for all people with disabilities
in emergency planning and disaster management, and specific
information helpful in working with deaf and hard-of-hearing
individuals, people with chemical sensitivities, people with
visual impairments, and people with mobility impairments,
in disaster situations. http://www.members.aol.com/jeannandi/HOMEPAGE/dis_plan.html
Tempe's
Fire Safety for People with
Disabilities Provided by the City of Tempe website, this document
offers fire safetysuggestions for people with different kinds
of disabilities: mobilityimpairment, visual impairments, hearing
impairment and deafness, andcognitive
disabilities. It also advises what to do with assistive devices
in the event of fire, and emphasizes the importance of evacuating
assistance animals with their owners. http://www.tempe.gov/fire/PublicEducation/Fire
Safety for Disabled.htm
Basic
Tips in Emergency Preparedness for Seniors and People
with Disabilities:
This Web page provides some checklists and useful Q &
A from the Bay Area Emergency Preparedness Coalition.http://www.preparenow.org/ba-eprep.html
Disaster
Preparedness Guide for Persons with Special NeedsThis
guide from the Houston Mayor's office provides a pretty comprehensive
review of checklists and preparations to make in advance of,
or during, a disaster situation.http://www.ci.houston.tx.us/OEM/splneeds/
People
with disabilities who have service animals need to plan for
animal safety as well. This resource covers strategy based
on location, emergency contacts, the availability of community
disaster assistance, evacuation planning, rescue and supply
kit checklists, behavioral warning signs, and emergency preparedness
training for animals.http://www.cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/general/artad1d.htm
The
American Veterinary Medical Association website provides excerpts
from its publication, "Saving the Whole Family",
a guide to emergencypreparedness for animals. It covers contact
lists, kits, supplies andrecords to prepare; and identification
for doors, windows, and animal tags. http://www.avma.org/vmat/disasterbrochure.asp
Online
Articles
Disaster!
by Douglas Lathrop, Mainstream MagazineThis article from the
November, 1994 issue of Mainstream Magazine discusses the
shortcomings of emergency management agencies in assisting
people with disabilities, and what we need to think about
in order to best help ourselves during times of crisis.http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/independentliving/disaster.htm
Earthquake!,
by Jim Hammitt, Mainstream MagazineThis May, 1994 article
describes the experiences of people with disabilities during
and after the Northridge, CA earthquake in January, 1994.
The obstacles Northridge residents with disabilities encountered
when trying to access relief services indicated a need for
better emergency management solutions. This job requires the
initiative and participation of people with disabilities themselves.http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/independentliving/quake.htm
Virginia Woman Pioneers Adapted
Fire Extinguisher This article from the Muscular Dystrophy
Association describes a new fire extinguisher that can be
easily operated by people with mobility, visual or cognitive
disabilities. The project was spearheaded by a woman who uses
a wheelchair, who lectures on home and fire safety for people
with disabilities. http://www.mdausa.org/publications/Quest/q66inventor.html
"Coping with Disaster: Suggestions
for Helping Children with Cognitive Disabilities" material
is available on Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
website and Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD)
Website.
The material could be found at "What's
New" section of Administration on Developmental Disabilities
(ADD) website : http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/add/Whats.htm
and at ACF site : http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/sept11/public.htm
Disaster
Mitigation for Persons with Disabilities: Fostering a
New Dialogue A short 1995 Annenberg Washington Program report
by Professor Peter Blanck of the University of Iowa. It outlines
seven points of focus for improving disaster relief strategies
for people with disabilities. http://www.annenberg.nwu.edu/pubs/disada/
Offline
Publications and Training that can be obtained via written
request, etc.)
-
Emergency Procedures for Employees with Disabilities
in Office Occupancies
-
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) offers
a booklet of ideas and solutions for workplace emergency
management for employees with disabilities. http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fserd/dis_a64.htm (Limited copies
available from the Great Lakes ADA Center by e-mail at
gldbtac@uic.edu or by phone at 800-949-4232 (IL,IN,MI,
MN,OH,WI)
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Preparing for Emergencies: A Checklist for People
with Mobility Problems
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and
the American Red Cross compiled this 4-page color brochure
to inform people with mobility impairments about what
to do before, during and after disasters. http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fserd/dis_a66.htm
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Fire Safety for People with Disabilities
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The National Fire Protection Association of Quincy,
MA offers a brochure on fire safety concerns for people
with disabilities. http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fserd/dis_a65.htm
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Program for Reaching the Hearing Impaired
- The Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office offers
a course for safety educators in reaching people with
hearing disabilities in the event of a fire. http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fserd/dis_a72.htm
This
information was compiled by:
National Organization on Disability
910 Sixteenth Street, N.W., Suite 600Washington, DC 20006
(202) 293-5960ability@nod.org
They are
not responsible for the information that is contained within
these documents and/or articles.
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