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ODEP News Release: [05/17/2004] Contact Name: Michael
Volpe Phone Number: (202) 693-7909
U.S. Labor Department Issues Report on Emergency
Preparedness for Federal Workers with Disabilities
WASHINGTONThe U.S. Labor Departments Office of
Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) today released a report that gives federal
officials and workers key advice and comprehensive recommendations on ensuring
a safe and secure environment for the more than 120,000 employees with
disabilities who work in buildings, regional offices or field locations owned
or leased by the federal government.
The 80-page report, Emergency Preparedness for People with
Disabilities: An Interagency Seminar of Exchange for Federal Managers,
concludes that communicating with employees is paramount to developing,
implementing and maintaining emergency plans that address the unique needs of
employees with disabilities. It urges senior-level management
buy-in and a total budget and personnel commitment by each agency.
It recommends agencies build flexibility into their plans for evacuating and
assisting people with disabilities by instituting backup emergency support
plans. Finally, the report directs agencies to rigorously practice the plan
with all employees so that they may become familiar with it and allow managers
to evaluate the plans strengths and weaknesses and make improvements.
The federal workplace should be a model workplaceone that
assures a safe and secure environment for employees with disabilities,
said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. President Bush has
challenged us to remove barriers that impede Americans with disabilities from
leading full and independent lives.
There is no One Size Fits All when it comes to
emergency preparedness, said ODEP Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard.
Todays report will help agencies create thorough and comprehensive
emergency plans that provide for an appropriate course of action for all
employees in an emergency situation.
The report stems from a December 2-3, 2003 Labor Department conference
on emergency preparedness for people with disabilities in the federal
government. The conference, which was attended by 225 representatives from over
90 federal, state and local offices and agencies, was the first time that
senior personnel from emergency preparedness, security, office safety and
disability programs had gathered together to address emergency preparedness for
federal employees with disabilities. Copies of the ODEP report are available
from www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/ep/index.htm
or by calling ODEP at (202) 693-7880 and requesting the report, Emergency
Preparedness for People with Disabilities.
The Department of Labor has a sound bite available online in two formats at http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/audio/
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