General Planning Tips - Additional Resources

In general, planners should encourage their community and staff to visit www.Ready.gov. This site contains a wealth of information on how to prepare for emergencies.

An ADA Guide for Local Governments - Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities, Americans with Disabilities Act

One of the most important roles of local government is to protect the general population from harm. This includes helping people prepare for and respond to emergencies. Making local government emergency preparedness and response programs accessible to people with disabilities is a critical part of this responsibility. Making these programs accessible is also required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). This document provides tips for local governments in text and pictures.

Access this document at http://www.ada.gov/emergencyprepguide.htm
Conference on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities, National Capitol Region

The goal of the conference was to begin a dialogue between emergency response agencies regarding emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. By sharing experiences and effective practices, regional leaders can enhance emergency preparedness programs. This site contains transcripts of the conference proceedings.

Access this document at http://www.nod.org/epiconference2004/index.html
Congressional Briefing - Emergency Management and People with Disabilities: Before, During, and After, National Organization on Disability

This document includes minutes from a Congressional briefing on emergency preparedness and people with disabilities. Congressmen and members of several disability advocacy organizations tell personal stories about the care people with disabilities have received in disasters.

Access this document at http://www.nod.org/Resources/PDFs/111005briefing.pdf (PDF - 121 KB)
Disaster Planning for Elderly and Disabled Populations, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida

This is a chapter within the IFAS Disaster Handbook for Extension Agents. This source provides general information and concerns on many subjects. Tips for local and State emergency planners include ways to identify, access, warn, evacuate, and shelter people with disabilities. This also lists questions to answer in an event and reasoning behind certain actions.

Access this document at http://disaster.ifas.ufl.edu/PDFS/CHAP02/D02-09.pdf (PDF - 289 KB)

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Emergency Preparation and People with Disabilities, National Service Inclusion Project

Emergency preparedness and safe egress are top priorities for every organization. This resource will assist organizations and individuals with disabilities to develop and implement an accessible emergency preparedness plan. The guidance on this site provides tips and preparedness messages in the following categories: preparation, notification and evacuation, sheltering and interim services, and recovery.

Access this document at http://www.serviceandinclusion.org/index.php?page=emergency
Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities: Have We Made Progress, National Organization on Disability

This teleconference, hosted by Elizabeth Davis of the National Organization on Disability, highlights several key issues in emergency planning for individuals with disabilities. Ms. Davis promotes the creation of disabilities registries and incorporating demographic and population resources into plans. She advocates including individuals with disabilities into drills, as well as creating a tiered shelter system that allows individuals with medical needs to have access to appropriate care support.

Access this document at http://www.adagreatlakes.org/ProgramsAndServices/AudioConferencing/Archives/FY2005/default.asp?Category=6&Session=3
Emergency Preparedness Initiative Guide for Emergency Managers, Planners & Responders: Revised Edition, National Organization on Disability

This guide describes and summarizes case studies and issues for local and State emergency planners. This includes ideas on partnering with and involving those with disabilities. The guide also provides research tools for people to use in preparation for an emergency.

Access this document at http://www.nod.org/resources/PDFs/epiguide2005.pdf (PDF - 166 KB)

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Disability Preparedness Initiative website, National Capital Region

The National Capital Region has developed an initiative to implement a series of activities that will enhance ongoing UASI emergency planning in the region by incorporating new preparedness planning for individuals with disabilities and other disabilities.

Access this document at http://www.disabilitypreparedness-ncr.net/
Emergency Preparedness, Planning, and Response, HHS Office for Civil Rights

Several "lessons learned" reports from Hurricane Katrina and other accounts have surfaced confusion about and potential misapplication of the HIPAA Privacy Rule in emergency response situations as well as uncertainty regarding how health information may be shared for planning. The HHS Office for Civil Rights Emergency Preparedness Planning and Response web pages address how the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which protects certain health information held by health plans and many health care providers, applies to common response situations. The pages also contain guidance (a decision tool) about permitted avenues of health information flow that could apply to emergency preparedness activities.

Access this resource at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/emergencyPPR.html
Preparing for the Next Emergency - Part 2, Hearing Loss Web

There is a growing awareness that people with hearing loss are not adequately considered in systems of emergency planning. This site highlights areas where emergency planning should further include individuals with hearing loss.

Access this document at www.hearinglossweb.com/Issues/Access/emerg2.htm

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Report on Disabilities Assessment for Katrina Evacuees (SNAKE) Project, National Organization on Disability

Often during an evacuation, the conditions of those with disabilities worsen due to, for example, an under-utilization of specialized and trained caregivers. By providing disabilities populations with proper care and equipment, they do not need to be shuffled to hospitals and nursing facilities. Effectively training disaster workers would allow them to identify evacuee limitations and to mitigate deterioration through appropriate supervision and evacuee placement.

Access this document at http://www.nod.org/Resources/PDFs/katrina_snake_report.pdf (PDF - 126 KB)
Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning, National Council on Disability

This report, produced by the National Council on Disability (NCD), provides recommendations to the Federal Government regarding the inclusion of people with disabilities in emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security programs.

Access this document at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2005/saving_lives.htm
Disabilities Planning Considerations for Services and Support Providers, FEMA

All individuals, advocacy groups, organizations, and institutions within the disabilities service and support system are encouraged to be proactive and develop emergency plans. The purpose of this course is to provide representatives of the disabilities service and support system with the basic information and tools to develop their own emergency plans. This course is designed for people who work with the elderly and people with disabilities, and will teach how to collaborate with local Emergency Management and better prepare for all phases of an emergency.

Access this course at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS197SP.asp

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Survey of Texas Cities on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities, Office of the Governor of the State of Texas

A survey, from the governor's office of Texas, that highlights the challenges emergency planners must face when planning for a disaster situation.

Access this document at http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/disabilities/resources/ada/emergency_preparedness
The Needs of People with Psychiatric Disabilities During and After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Position Paper and Recommendations, National Council on Disability

This paper conveys the experiences of people with psychiatric disabilities during and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It summarizes the major findings and makes general recommendations, as well as specific recommendations for emergency management officials and policymakers at federal, state, and local levels.

Access this file at: http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/peopleneeds.htm#executive
The U.S. Census, The U.S. Census Bureau

The U.S. Census Bureau collects and reports US demographic information. Voluntary and self-reported data on people with disabilities is included in the census. The site provides population statistics in a variety of formats, including numbers, graphs, and charts. State planners can use this information to predict the needs of a given community.

Access this document at http://www.census.gov
Working Conference on Emergency Management and Individuals with Disabilities and the Elderly

As communication technology improves and new systems emerge, additional costs are created and passed-on to the consumers - in this case those with disabilities. But, costs associated with communication devices could be prohibitive for many individuals with disabilities. Free or low-cost alternatives (e.g., call-down lists, phone trees, neighborhood watch groups) should be provided as possible replacements to the much more costly technological devices that disseminate information. Partnerships between planners and Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERS) and TTY Networks could facilitate their implementation and emergency response actions, in general.

Access this document http://www.add-em-conf.com/presentations.htm