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The Seminar of Exchange regarding emergency preparedness for
people with disabilities was well-received by both participants and presenters.
In the evaluation surveys received from participants rating the Seminar purpose
and the information received, feedback indicated that participants found the
presenters very knowledgeable, the content strong, and the materials practical
and thought-provoking. Many respondents indicated they particularly liked
finding out what other agencies are doing and sharing ideas and practices with
others.
Based upon the high registration rate and the overwhelmingly
positive feedback, this Seminar filled a void for many in terms of developing,
implementing, and maintaining an agency emergency preparedness plan that
includes people with disabilities. The sponsoring agencies, coordinators, and
presenters of this event hope that the Seminar served as a catalyst to bring
about greater focus and action on this important issue in the future.
A careful review of the presentations and subsequent discussion in
the plenary and breakout sessions revealed four prevailing themes related to
developing an emergency preparedness plan that involves people with
disabilities. They are (1) communication with employees; (2) agency budget and
personnel commitment; (3) flexibility; and (4) practice. The following is a
summary of the prevailing themes of the Seminar and should not be viewed as an
agency prescription or policy recommendation.
Communication
with Employees
 Communicating with all employees is
paramount to developing, implementing, and maintaining an emergency
preparedness plan that effectively addresses the unique needs of employees with
disabilities. Communication, in this regard, actually consists of three
inextricably intertwined elements: outreach to employees with disabilities;
sharing disability information within the confines of civil rights and privacy
protections; and using effective methods of communication.
Developing, implementing and maintaining an emergency plan that
involves people with disabilities cannot succeed without input from those it is
designed to benefit. Throughout the Seminar of Exchange, presenters stressed
that there is no greater authority on the emergency needs of an individual with
a disability than the person himself/herself. Therefore, the plan should
reflect the input of employees with disabilities. In doing so, an agency
guarantees that its plan is as comprehensive as possible. Additionally,
communicating with employees with disabilities will, in many instances, provide
them with a sense of confidence, having had an opportunity to actually
contribute to the process.
Obtaining necessary input from employees with disabilities is a
critical factor in developing an emergency preparedness plan. However, managers
may have legitimate concerns that gathering information about specific
individual needs violates civil rights protections afforded by federal laws
(e.g., Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended). Thus, agency personnel should
be carefully instructed on the legal aspects of gathering such information
(e.g., type of information that can be gathered and the manner in which this is
accomplished). Federal laws do not prevent employers from obtaining and
appropriately using information necessary for a comprehensive emergency
evacuation plan. Similarly, with respect to attitudes toward disability, it is
essential an agency develop a culture where employees feel comfortable sharing
the necessary information with appropriate individuals.
Finally, establishing effective means to impart emergency
preparedness and response procedures is vital to the success of the agency
plan. Communication challenges among federal employees with disabilities vary
widely. Therefore, varied, multiple, and redundant means of emergency
notification and communication are necessary.
Agency Budget and
Personnel Commitment
An effective emergency preparedness plan requires support and
commitment from senior-level management within an agency. Seminar presenters
and participants alike commented that an agency preparedness plan will only be
as good as the financial and personnel resources supporting it. The methods of
securing and demonstrating managerial commitment to including people with
disabilities in emergency planning vary from agency to agency. At some
agencies, this has been accomplished through direct communications from
executive-level officials, such as the agency Secretary. Since the protocols
and forms of communications differ from agency to agency, personnel tasked with
creating emergency preparedness plans need to think creatively about obtaining
and communicating the vital managerial buy-in.
Flexibility
Even the best laid plans for an emergency situation can fall prey
to unforeseen circumstances. In order to minimize the chaos and disorder
stemming from an emergency situation, an agency emergency preparedness plan
must be as flexible as possible. Although an agency may believe it has
identified and accommodated all employees with disabilities, there is a very
real possibility that not everyone who needs assistance in emergencies has
self-identified. Indeed, there may also be instances where an emergency
situation exacerbates existing impairments or creates new impairments,
affecting an individual’s ability to evacuate. Recognizing that situations
like these can arise, effective planning practice includes building flexibility
into an agency emergency preparedness plan.
For example, during the Seminar, there was significant discussion
about the effectiveness of the buddy system. As defined earlier, a traditional
‘buddy system’ entails assigning an able-bodied person to a person
with a disability for the purpose of assisting the employee with a disability
during an emergency. However, reliance on a single buddy can put the employee
at risk, in the event the buddy is not present, able, or willing to assist
during an emergency. Therefore, ‘flexibility’ in an emergency
preparedness plan is vital. This may mean augmenting the traditional buddy
system with additional supports for the employee; in other words having
multiple individuals prepared to assist in an emergency. With this approach,
everyone, including the person with a disability, would be trained in issues
that may arise during an emergency.
Practice
During the Seminar, presenters and experienced managers
continually emphasized the importance of rigorously practicing the emergency
plan on a regular basis with all employees. Practicing serves several purposes.
First, it allows employees with and without disabilities to become familiar
with the agency plan. This includes learning, knowing, and remembering where to
go, what to do, and who to contact in an emergency. Secondly, it provides
agency emergency preparedness planners with an opportunity to survey and
evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the plan; therefore, providing a base
plan on which to improve or from which to replicate. Finally, regularly-timed
drills and/or practice sessions keep the issue of being prepared on the minds
of all involved, from the agency Secretary to the agency custodial staff.
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