This page contains information about FEMA's September 12-14, 2011 Getting Real: Promising Practices in Inclusive Emergency Management for the Whole Community Conference ("Getting Real II") in Arlington, VA.
FEMA's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC) and our co-sponsors, the National Council on Disability (NCD) and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and our partners the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and People with Disabilities (ICC) and the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) hosted Getting Real: Promising Practices in Inclusive Emergency Management for the Whole Community Conference.
"Getting Real II" took place from September 12-14, 2011 in Arlington, VA.
Background:
In September 2010, FEMA was pleased to host the first annual Getting Real Conference. Leaders from the disability and emergency management communities and many other public and private stakeholders came from across the nation to discuss priorities for improving emergency management issues for people with access and functional needs. Participants who were unable to come to Baltimore were also able to participate in the conference through a live webcast.
By the conclusion of the conference, delegates were equipped with new tools to further educate communities on how to effectively collaborate on emergency preparedness and disaster response and recovery with the disability community. It was undoubtedly a major success!
Getting Real II:
In 2011, we committed to building partnerships and sharing promising practices at "Getting Real II." A promising practice can be identified as a practice, approach, or method that’s proven to have gained a positive outcome. Promising practices in emergency management include methods that have shown favorable results as they’ve been tested or applied in emergency situations. The objective of the conference was to identify promising practices that strengthen the whole community’s capacity to prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate the impact of disasters. These practices emphasized inclusion, integration, dignity, independence, accessibility and self-determination for individuals with disabilities before, during and after a disaster.
The agenda for "Getting Real II" was full of programs highlighting promising practices for disability inclusive emergency management.
Webcast:
If you were unable to join us in person, "Getting Real II" is now available via a Conference-On-Demand webcast generously supported by the National Council on Disability. This webcast will include many of the Promising Practice presentations. Click on the following link to view the conference: gettingreal-ii.webcaston.tv.
If you have any questions, please contact us at FEMA-Disability-Integration-Coordination@fema.dhs.gov.