On December 2-3, 2003, the Department of Labors Office of
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) hosted Emergency Preparedness
for People with Disabilities: An Interagency Seminar of Exchange for Federal
Managers at the Washington, DC headquarters. This report
summarizes the proceedings from the day and a half event and is meant to serve
as a source of practical information on developing, implementing, and
maintaining emergency preparedness plans for people with disabilities.
The document has been compiled using session transcripts,
presenter presentations, and rapporteurs notes. It is intended to provide
an overview of the themes, ideas, questions, and practices exchanged during the
Seminar rather than a word-for-word or minute-by-minute account of the event.
More importantly, the information and opinions related to strategies, products,
and issues presented should not be regarded as endorsements or policy
statements by ODEP or the Department of Labor (DOL).
While the report structure closely reflects the official Seminar
agenda, some sections have been added or modified to enhance both the
readability and usability of the document. Space has been devoted to each
Seminar session rather than integrating the information based on themes or
topics. This was done for two reasons: 1) to assist readers in putting the
information in perspective; and 2) to preserveas much as
possibleboth the context in which the information was shared and the flow
of the Seminar.
Finally, it is hoped that this report provides readers a better
understanding of the common themes that emerged over the day and a half, as
well as practical resources and information related to emergency preparedness
for people with disabilities. |