FEMA Accommodates Special Needs Population
Release Date: April 22, 2005
Release Number: 1539-437
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues one of the most extensive outreach programs in the agency’s history to address the needs of the state’s diverse and special needs populations.
“We’ve made an unprecedented effort to eliminate any barriers to assistance for Florida’s diverse population,” said Bill Carwile, FEMA’s Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO). “We’re still working hard to accommodate any special needs that applicants may have.”
Applicants, who were able to register for assistance in 153 different languages, can continue to ask questions or seek information through the interpretation service on FEMA’s Helpline. This service is still available to callers with speech and hearing impairments as well.
For those with disabilities, FEMA issued 254 mobile homes, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and 50 all-electric travel trailers for those with special medical requirements, such as oxygen machines. In addition, FEMA continues to accommodate requests for special needs, such as building handicapped-accessible entrances on to mobile homes and travel trailers.
Another innovative FEMA program is the Diversity Outreach Initiative (DOI), launched days after Hurricane Charley stormed ashore. This program was developed for storm victims with language barriers and disabilities to make sure they received information on all available disaster assistance, including grants, low-interest loans and basic immediate needs.
In total, 39 Diversity Outreach Centers were opened throughout Florida, registering some 13,000 people. At some centers, interpreters translated languages as diverse as Vietnamese, Creole, Korean and Spanish. In one case, a staffer who knew sign language helped a hearing-impaired family apply for and close on their $18,000 U.S. Small Business Administration loan.
By partnering with state and local governments and over 100 private organizations, FEMA’s diversity outreach program was able to refer some 94,000 people for help with food and clothing and other needs. FEMA continues to work with county and community leaders through long-term recovery committees to accommodate the elderly, persons with disabilities and those with special needs, helping them repair roofs, clean up mold and receive other assistance.
The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a collaboration of Florida’s state agencies led by the state coordinating officer. SERT’s mission is to ensure that Florida is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and mitigate their impacts. Visit www.floridadisaster.org for the latest information on the hurricane relief efforts.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Friday, 22-Apr-2005 15:41:50