Assisting People With Disabilities in a Disaster

http://www.fema.gov/r-n-r/assistf.htm

RED CROSS www.tallytown.com/redcross/educate.html

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES MANUAL FOR OFFICE EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES NOW AVAILABLE FROM FEMA IN VARIETY OF FORMATS http://www.usfa.fema.gov/about/press/020397.htm

ADA Applies to Restoration of Damaged Facilities http://www.fema.gov/r-n-r/pa/papd/5.HTM

Disaster Preparedness For People With Disabilities http://www.fema.gov/library/disprepf.htm

Fire Safety and People with Disabilities http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fserd/dis3_list.htm

Emergency Procedures for Employees with Disabilities in Office Occupancies http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fserd/dis_a64.htm

Fire Safety for People with Disabilities http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fserd/dis_a66.htm

FIRE STOPS WITH YOU Removing the Barriers: A Fire Safety Factsheet for People with Disabilities and their Caregivers http://www.usfa.fema.gov/safety/fswy22.htm

In recognition of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) staff felt it appropriate to recognize several of NIDRR's grantees who have developed special information/assistance addressing emergency situations and people with disabilities. As we all know, a year ago, very little information addressing this area of need was publicly available. In the year since the tragedy, numerous directories, fact sheets, booklets, training brochures and other materials have been put on the World Wide Web to increase preparedness measures that can be taken to increase chances of survival. The online resources range from basic first aid tips to strategies for confronting bioterrorism. Disaster relief products and information for employers and building management personnel are becoming more readily available. Many of these, however, do not address issues of disability. Several NIDRR-funded projects have responded to the President's "Call to Service" by contributing to the insight and understanding of the need for evacuation planning and a higher level of commitment to the safety of people with disabilities during and after an emergency. Some of this information is online or available from the grantee and some information is shared through the print media. If you are aware of other online resources produced by NIDRR grantees, please let us know by contacting Lin Harris at lharris@ncddr.org or (800) 266-1832.

NIDRR GRANTEE RESOURCES ADDRESSING DISABILITY-RELATED EMERGENCY ISSUES The Center for an Accessible Society This Center has put online the seven key principles that should guide disaster relief in the article Disaster Mitigation for Persons with Disabilities http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/independentlliving/disasterprep.htm
and the stories of survival in Disaster Experiences of People with Disabilities http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/independentliving/disasterprep-1.htm.

The Center provides additional links to other Web site resources. For further information, contact William G. Stothers at wstothers@accessiblesociety.org or 619-232-2727.

Illinois Assistive Technology Project (IATP) The IATP prepared the document Emergency Evacuation: Last Invited In, Forced to be Last Out http://www.iltech.org/publications.htm to acquaint readers with some evacuation devices on the market. For further information, contact Sherry Edwards at iatp@iltech.org or 217-522-7985.

Promoting the Practice of Universal Design This NIDRR grantee at the Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University, has produced a booklet entitled Areas of Rescue Assistance. The ADA requires a safe waiting area to be provided at or near inaccessible exits for people who cannot climb stairs. This booklet also describes the importance of two-way communication systems when building evacuation is necessary. For further information, contact Molly Follette Story at molly_story@ncsu.edu or 303-699-8133.

RRTC for Economic Research on Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities and The Center for an Accessible Society HR Magazine, an official publication of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), published an article entitled Enabling Safe Evacuations in January, 2002, that focuses on emergency preparedness and safe evacuation planning. Authors Susanne Bruy¿re, Ph.D., Director, Program on Employment and Disability, RRTC for Economic Research on Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities at Cornell University and William G. Stothers, Deputy Director, The Center for an Accessible Society, present ten steps that can assist employers in implementing safe emergency evacuation procedures for all their employees, including individuals with disabilities. An online version of the article is available in the archives section at: . For further information, contact William G. Stothers at wstothers@accessiblesociety.org or 619-232-2727, and Dr. Susanne Bruy¿re at smb23@cornell.edu or 607-255-7727.

RRTC on Workforce Investment and Employment Policy for Persons with Disabilities and I.T. Works  While an Annenberg Senior Fellow, NIDRR Grantee Peter David Blanck developed a report, Disaster Mitigation for Persons with Disabilities: Fostering a New Dialogue, which presented seven points that reflect an emerging consensus about how best to respond to the needs of people with disabilities before, during, and after a disaster. Dr. Blanck is currently the principal investigator for the RRTC and I.T. Works. For further information, contact James Schmeling at james-schmeling@uiowa.edu or (319) 335-8458

OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES ADDRESSING DISABILITY-RELATED EMERGENCY ISSUES In addition to these NIDRR-supported resources, other information sources addressing the needs of people with disabilities in emergency situations have been put online. Some NIDRR-funded grantees' Web sites include links to relevant information developed by other organizations. Here is a sampling of some of these:

America Responds to Terrorism Protect Yourself - prepare for emergencies and disasters by learning about chemical, biological, and radiological weapons - is one of the articles presented on the U.S. Government's official web portal. Additional topics include travel safety, terrorism, laws and proposed laws, and others.

Assisting People with Disabilities in a Disaster The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has prepared this tip sheet to help people with disabilities who are self-sufficient under normal circumstances but may have to rely on the help of others in a disaster.

Disaster Education, Preparedness and Mitigation Library The Tallahassee Chapter of the American Red Cross has prepared this comprehensive library to support disaster preparedness activities in the home, neighborhood, workplace, school and community.

Disaster Preparedness Clearinghouse The clearinghouse, developed by the American Library Association's Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, contains resources, links to the disaster preparedness sites of agencies whose primary role is emergency response or conservation, and information on available training. Suggestions for other resources to include in the clearinghouse can be sent to alcts@ala.org.

Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities Prepared by June Isaacson Kailes, Disability Policy Consultant, who serves as vice-president of the U.S. Access Board, this site offers information for people with disabilities in the wake of a disaster. Prepared initially for earthquake information, it is valuable for any disaster.

Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has prepared this document, along with several others, to help maximize preparation, rescue, and recovery during a disaster. It provides a list of supplies to have on hand and some other helpful tips.

Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities Prepared by DisabilityResources.org, The DRM WebWatcher links to a wealth of information with fact sheets, manuals, guides, and an extensive annotated collection of links.

Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities The American Red Cross has prepared this document to help people who have physical, visual, auditory, or cognitive disabilities to prepare for natural disasters and their consequences. The document is online and available in downloadable versions.

Emergency Evacuation Procedures for Employees with Disabilities This publication by Linda Carter Batiste, MS, and Beth Loy, Ph.D. is intended to provide an overview of emergency procedures for employees with disabilities. Throughout this publication the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR) is referenced. SOAR is available on JAN's Web site at and is designed to let users explore various accommodation options.

Emergency Plans That Include Workers With Disabilities eSight Careers Network provides information by author, Nan Hawthorne, who raises the question, "What will happen to our disabled workers if there is an emergency?" and offers strategies that may save lives, as well as tools and help before you need it. The article also includes links for related additional information.

Emergency Preparedness Directory The National Organization on Disability's Emergency Preparedness Directory provides information on: locating and including people with disabilities in your community emergency preparedness planning, online resources addressing the needs of people with disabilities and emergency planning, Harris survey data indicating a need for better emergency planning for Americans with Disabilities, and news coverage from September 11. In addition to the Directory, NOD lists disability-inclusive emergency preparedness, management and relief resources, articles and news resources at .

Emergency Preparedness on the Job for People with Disabilities -- Guidelines This two-page sheet from the National Center on Emergency Planning for People with Disabilities (NCEPPD) provides guidelines for protecting yourself in your workplace after disaster strikes. It can be printed to a Microsoft document. The NCEPPD has additional resources , designed to help in the development of an emergency plan and preparation of a disaster kit. For further information contact the NCEPPD at nceppd@inclusioninc.com or 202-546-4464.

Emergency Procedures for Employees with Disabilities in Office Occupancies English: Spanish: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has prepared this guide in English and Spanish to provide information for facility managers and may be useful for those individuals who might need special assistance in an emergency situation and/or in the evacuation of a building.

Locating People with Disabilities In Your Community to Include in Emergency Preparedness Planning 

According to the Harris Interactive survey results released December 11, 2001, by The National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.): 58 percent of people with disabilities say they do not know whom to contact about emergency plans for their community in the event of a terrorist attack or other crisis. 61 percent say that they have not made plans to quickly and safely evacuate their home. Among those who are employed full or part time, 50 percent say no plans have been made to safely evacuate their workplace.

Removing the Barriers: A Fire Safety Factsheet for People with Disabilities and their Caregivers The U.S. Fire Administration division of The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides this factsheet outlining the special precautions which can be taken to protect people with disabilities and their homes from fire.

Resources on Emergency Evacuation and Disaster Preparedness The US Access Board's guidelines for facilities address means of egress that are accessible to persons with disabilities. They have collected these resources as an overview of the design requirements. Also included are links to information developed by other organizations on evacuation planning and disaster preparedness.

Survivors of Human-Caused and Natural Disasters Included in the links from www.DisabilityInfo.gov, this National Center for PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) fact sheet considers three questions often asked by survivors: What symptoms can one experience as a result of disaster experiences? What factors increase the risk of readjustment problems? What can disaster survivors do to best recover from disaster stress?

The National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) is pleased to bring you this information. If any related information may be useful to you, please feel free to contact the NCDDR at ncddr@ncddr.org or call (800) 266-1832.