JFActivist

FEMA Seeks Comments on Disaster Recovery Planning by Dec. 15

Emergency Issues! Disability Advocates & Services Providers to Strengthen FEMA National Disaster Recovery Plan

On December 8, 2009, AAPD staffer Jenifer Simpson -- and individuals from a number of other disability organizations -- attended a National Disability Recovery Leaders’ Forum at the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) headquarters in Washington, D.C. The three-hour meeting, held in FEMA’s External Affairs “Ready Room,” was hosted by Marcie Roth, Senior Advisor to FEMA on Disability Issues.

 

The intent was for participants to shape and develop high-level strategic operational guidance to the agency for a Report to the President that is due April 1, 2010. This report will be a framework going forward and will incorporate many recommendations gleaned from this meeting and related field meetings held in New Orleans, Memphis, New York City, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles.  Although clearly linked, the conversation addressed “recovery after,” not “preparedness for” emergencies. Emerging themes to be addressed in the report are:

 

--defining and measuring recovery success (metrics and others means);

--recovery planning;

--partnerships and coordination;

--communications (especially multi-modal and different languages);

--leadership;

--programs and funding;

--accountability, timeliness and flexibility;

--building back communications to be safer, stronger and smarter;

--roles and responsibilities clarification and local capacity;

--training.

 

The overarching recommendation from the disability organizational participants at this meeting was for disability representation at all levels and within all FEMA-related activities, for accessibility statutory compliance, and for inclusive funding and programmatic approaches.

 

Disability participants were from ATAP, NDRN, NOD, TDI-CEPIN, WID, and Enable-US, Temple University and other groups. Teleconferencing in were disability representatives from California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and New York City.  HUD and DHS representatives also attended the meeting in addition to over seven FEMA employees including Curtis Carleton, the FEMA employee responsible for pulling the report together. The meeting was opened by Beth Zimmerman, Associate Deputy Administrator for FEMA Operations and Tracie Wareing, Counsel to DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano.  Also attending was Margaret Schaefer, of DHS Civil Rights office, who represented the federal Interdepartmental Coordinating Committee on Emergency Preparedness and People with Disabilities.

 

Everyone in the disability community is encouraged to contribute further to this “stakeholder dialogue” through entering Comments & Recommendations on the FEMA website by end of day Tuesday December 15, 2009. FEMA website with prompted questions is at http://www.disasterrecoveryworkinggroup.gov/questionnaire/  Do let them know what your thoughts are today on at least a few of the questions!

 

More about FEMA at http://www.fema.gov/about/index.shtm

 

Item provided by Jenifer Simpson, Senior Director for Government Affairs, AAPD. For questions, please contact jsimpson@aapd.com

NY: Governor With Disability Vetos Disability Civil Rights Protections

Comment Below: What does Governor Paterson have against people with disabilities?  He vetoed FOUR pieces of legislation which would help our community and reinforce the civil rights protections that federal laws already recognize (see below).  Does Gov. Paterson really think NY should not have to abide by the ADA and Help America Vote Act? I'm completely appalled.

From WTen (9/18/09):

Disability advocates outraged over Governor's vetoes

WYNANTSKILL -- Disability advocates are outraged that a bill unanimously passed by the state legislature to better protect people with special needs has been vetoed by Governor Paterson.  The bill would have increased penalties for those who abuse a disabled person, making it a felony.  The news is devastating for families of the disabled.

We talked to a number of parents and advocates of disabled people who fully expected to be celebrating a victory. Instead they are overwhelmed with disbelief...

...Two other bills involving the disabled were also vetoed by Governor Paterson, adding to the frustration and anger among advocates.

One bill would clarify civil rights protections for people with disabilities. Another would make polling places more accessible to them.

Melanie Shaw, Executive Director of the New York Association on Independent Living, says, "There's surprise, and I think there is some anger, absolutely. Both these bills were bills that we've worked on for a number of years, and they were passed overwhelmingly by the state legislature."...

>>> For the Full Article

From News34 (9/17/09):

GOVERNOR’S VETOES OUTRAGE DISABILITY ADVOCATES

New Yorkers with disabilities were stunned last night when Governor Paterson vetoed not one, but two critical pieces of civil rights legislation. Both bills were passed overwhelmingly by the state legislature, and would require state law to conform with existing federal requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). In response, disability advocates are calling on the state legislature to override the Governor’s vetoes and ensure people with disabilities in New York are treated as fairly in New York State as they are under existing federal law...

“It is unconscionable and highly ironic that a governor with a disability has vetoed these bills. We are very disappointed that, by these actions, he has failed to offer the leadership we hoped he would bring to the governor’s office,” said Christine Zachmeyer, NYAIL board member and chair of the New York State Independent Living Council (NYSILC).

One bill, A.781-B (Paulin)/S.5396 (Huntley), adds federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II language into state statute, clarifying the obligations of government officials and strengthening the civil rights protections for people with disabilities. Title II of the ADA protects people with disabilities from discrimination on the basis of disability in services provided by public entities, including state and local governments. In the proposed bill, public entities would be required under state law to make reasonable accommodations—the same accommodations already required by federal law—and individuals with disabilities would gain critical access to the administrative enforcement mechanisms through the State Division of Human Rights. This bill imposes no new or additional requirements upon local governments or businesses.

Another bill, A. 584 (Cahill)/S.1058 (Addabbo), would require all polling sites to comply with the accessibility guidelines of the ADA. Across the state, polling sites are notorious for violations of the ADA, infringing on people with disabilities’ right to vote. The new law will update state election law consistent with federal requirements, eliminate outdated waiver language, increase the likelihood of compliance, and increase procedures for enforcement. Inaccessible sites can either be moved, consolidated, or modifications can be made and counties can be reimbursed from pre-existing state and federal HAVA funds for costs incurred in making polling places accessible to individuals with disabilities, including the blind and visually impaired...

Disability advocates now call on the New York State Legislature to override these vetoes and ensure the civil rights of all New Yorkers with disabilities...

>>> For the Full Article

The following are summaries of the laws vetoed and Governor Paterson's Veto Messages:

S.1058-A (Addabbo)/A.584-A (Cahill)                                          
Veto #60 (9/16/09)
P-Sen. 57-0; P-Assm. 137-0

This legislation would require that all polling places in the State be accessible to citizens with disabilities, and comply with the accessibility guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). It would eliminate state polling place accessibility waiver language and include provisions to the Election Law to reduce confusion regarding polling places access requirements and increase the likelihood of substantial compliance.
 
Veto Message Summary: Though the Legislature has sought to address an issue of extraordinary importance to the State through this legislation, the time frame imposed for meeting its provisions are too onerous, would place a significant financial burden on State and local governments, particularly the City of New York.

S.5396 (Huntley)/A.781-B (Paulin)                                          
Veto #61 (9/16/09)
P-Sen. 57-0; P-Assm. 137-0

The intent of this legislation is to clarify the scope of protections against discrimination on the basis of disability in services provided by public entities.  Specifically, it would outlaw discrimination by public entities against individuals with disabilities with regard to access such entities’ programs, services or activities, and require reasonable modifications in governmental services, programs or activities, unless such modifications would cause an “undue hardship.”  Aggrieved parties could file administrative complaints with the State Division of Human Rights.

Veto Message Summary:  While the effort to ensure that State and local governmental programs and services accommodate persons with disabilities is laudable, the legislation lacks definitional clarity and, because it could be read as having a broader application than the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), could subject public entities to two different standards.  In addition, individuals who are aggrieved under Title II of the ADA already have a remedy through the federal system.  Creating a cause of action under State law would augment the ability of plaintiffs to bring suits for damages against the State.  Finally, implementation of this legislation would require the hiring of new staff and the dedication of substantial resources that are unavailable at this time. 

S.5208 (Huntley)/A.6349 (Gordon)                                      
Veto #69 (9/16/09)
P-Sen. 57-0; P-Assm. 141-0

This legislation amends the Penal Law to add the term “incompetent or physically disabled persons” to existing felony laws against endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly person by a caregiver.

Veto Message Summary: Governor Paterson is concerned that the offenses added not be made felony offenses without clearly defining the term “incompetent,” which is a broad term covering a range of disabilities.  Further, he is concerned that the requirement that a victim prove his disability of state of competence at trial would be an invasion of his or her privacy that should not be required by a bill like this.  He will support this bill if these problems are fixed.

S.3285-A (Adams)/A.8555-A (Espaillat)                      
 Veto #76 (09/16/09)
P-Sen. 53-0; P-Assm. 146-0

The purpose of this bill is to help service-disabled veterans who are owners of businesses increase their ability to partake in the procurement process.

Veto Message Summary: This bill would impose a fiscal cost on the State, is at odds with the State’s policy of competitive bidding and is duplicative of other programs. In particular, this bill restricts certification and pricing preferences solely to businesses domiciled in New York State and owned by service-disabled veterans, which is contradictory to new York’s current open-market procurement policies.

Just In: AAPD Joins Facebook Causes

From the JFA Moderator:

AAPD recently joined Facebook Causes as a way to get the word out about the disability rights movement and to make it easier for YOU, our dedicated activists, to contribute your support.

Take Action TODAY: Join or Donate to AAPD's Cause on Facebook and share these links with your friends.

>>> To Join the Movement

>>> To Support our Work

AAPD: Focus On ... H1N1

UPDATE; H1N1 Flu and Disability Community

On August 25, Obama Administration officials discussed – via a teleconference with disability leaders -- the most recent information regarding the H1N1 virus and specific concerns for the disability community. Brief oral presentations were made by officials from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and the Department of Health and Human Services.

Officials mentioned that seasonal flu vaccinations will start nationwide within the next several weeks, starting September 10, with a second round to start in mid-October, when the H1N1 vaccine will be available. They have talked with five manufacturers of the vaccine and purchased vaccine that will be distributed widely, and specifically through state health departments.

They noted that H1N1 affects people differently but there are five groups more at risk:  pregnant women, people with children less than 6 months old, health care emergency personnel, people between ages 6 months and 24 years, and people ages 25-64 who may be at higher risk due to chronic or other medical conditions. This totals about 160 million people.

Specifically in regard to disability, officials on the teleconference raised some topics and concerns.  One official talked about how the direct care workforce needs to be vaccinated to ensure continuity of care or personal assistant or attendant services for people with disabilities. Another mentioned ILCs and how others involved with these services should develop plans to minimize delays and the “need to preserve the care giving unit.”   Another noted that people with muscular disorders, children, people with metabolic conditions, people who can’t report onset of symptoms and conditions, people with pulmonary conditions, people with asthma, are also at more risk.  Another official from CDC said “we don’t have great experience of the affects of this new flu on the various categories of people with disabilities.”

They emphasized taking the following steps to reduce spread and resurgence of H1N1: hand washing, covering coughs, staying home if sick, becoming involved with school & employment plans, home preparation. Another official mentioned that state health departments would be active in the vaccination program and to contact them for further details.

Officials cited the website http://www.flu.gov as a source of information (in three languages) with a wealth of information, including personal preparedness, state contacts, and other tools. They encouraged all of us to visit and learn more. All flu.gov PSAs were captioned, including the Sesame Street Elmo one, my favorite.

Story by J. Simpson, Senior Director, Government Affairs, AAPD

NCD Calls for Sweeping Changes in Emergency Management

From an NCD News Release (8/12/09):

National Council on Disability Recommends Sweeping Emergency Management Changes for People with Disabilities

The National Council on Disability (NCD) today released its report
Effective Emergency Management: Making Improvements for Communities and People with Disabilities, calling on federal, state, and local authorities to make sweeping changes in emergency management practices for people with disabilities.

According to NCD Chairperson John R. Vaughn, “NCD’s first evaluation of government work in this area was published in a 2005 report Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning. That report laid out a scenario of a major hurricane striking the Gulf Coast and outlined steps that the federal government should take to include people with disabilities in emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security. Hurricane Katrina struck four months later.”

As a result of NCD’s work, the 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations bill’s Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act (H.R. 5441) required Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to employ a National Disability Coordinator and to interact, consult, and coordinate with NCD on a list of eight other activities.

According to NCD Vice Chairperson Pat Pound, “NCD identified a major gap in the government’s homeland security knowledge base, which involves the availability and use of effective practices for community preparedness and response to the needs of people with disabilities in all types of disasters. In 2008, NCD began reviewing the spectrum of available studies and defined a set of best/promising practices for emergency management across the life cycle of disasters and geographic areas. With this new knowledge, it is time to act. The lives of people with disabilities hang in the balance.”

Scientists report a worldwide increase in the number of natural disasters over the past 25 years. In 1980, only about 100 such disasters were reported per year, but that number has risen to more than 300 a year since 2000. The increase is expected to continue, and storm-related disasters are predicted to increase in intensity.

According to NCD Vice Chairperson Chad Colley, “NCD’s report offers information and advice to assist all levels of government in their work to establish evidence-based policies, programs, and practices across the life cycle of disasters.”

Some of the recommendations and interventions include:

Federal Recommendations
●    Continue strengthening efforts to enforce compliance with Federal Communications Commission policies regarding emergency broadcasting to reach people with disabilities.
●    Complete the FEMA Comprehensive Planning Guide (CPG) series—including 301 Special Needs and 302, which includes service animals—in sync with other CPG series guides.
●    Hire disability coordinators at the FEMA regional offices.
State-Level Interventions
●    Task a state official with disability and disaster issues.
●    Involve disability community organizations and state offices or agencies in all state efforts regarding natural hazards, terrorism, technological or hazardous materials concerns, and pandemic planning.
Local-Level Interventions
●    Local jurisdictions should create working groups to review and revise emergency operations plans, mitigation plans, and recovery plans to address the issues of people with disabilities.
●    Cross-training on disability and disaster issues should be conducted among emergency managers, first responders, voluntary agencies, and disability agencies.
Individual-Level Interventions
●    Accept personal responsibility for preparedness in a disaster context; where that is challenging, involve caregivers in such efforts.
●    Create contingency plans for evacuation and other protective action, shelter life, medical care, and service animals.

FCC Disability Rights Office Issues Summary Report on Phone and TV Accessibility Complaints

FCC Disability Rights Office Issues Summary Report on Phone and TV Accessibility Complaints

Advocates for accessible telecommunications were pleased to see that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is now reporting out the number of disability-related complaints it receives via a new electronic tracking system. This new report states that from October to December 2008 they received 154 disability-related concerns. These included 30 informal complaints involving Section 255 accessible phones and services and 2 hearing aid compatibility complaints, 38 complaints involving relay services, 4 complaints about emergency information on television and 80 complaints about closed captioning. The FCC Disabilities Rights Office took the lead on effort which should lead to similar regular reporting. The report -- similar to the FCC’s report on non-disability related consumer-complaints --  does not state any trends, outcomes or resolutions of the complaints, or if further investigatory steps are taken in follow-up to the complaints. Comments on this and FCC Public Notice at http://www.coataccess.org/node/3488

FCC electronic complaint filing form is at https://esupport.fcc.gov/sform2000/formC!input.action?form_page=2000C

Story provided by Jenifer Simpson, Senior Director, Government Affairs, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).  AAPD is a founding and steering committee member of the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT).

Analog TV Broadcasting Ends Friday June 12: Antenna or Free TV Viewers Should Act Now If Haven’t Already!

1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009) • http://www.DTV2009.gov

One Month Out

May 12, 2009, marks one month until the end of analog broadcasting. This date is the perfect opportunity to look into your options or to remind your family and friends who have waited until the last minute that the time to take action and apply for their $40 coupon is today! Help others apply for a coupon, buy a converter box and follow the installation instructions.  Coupons are available by going to the website at http://www.dtv2009.gov  Consumers can re-apply if they have an expired coupon. Consumers can receive coupons if they have PO Box addresses and if they live in “group homes” and similar congregate settings. So far, consumers have requested more than 57 million TV converter box coupons and redeemed more than 28 million coupons.

RESOURCES AVAILABLE:

• An updated "Apply. Buy. Try." Coupon Program fact sheet and a DTV Transition Resource Guide are available online at https://www.dtv2009.gov/Partners.aspx  in English and Spanish. The fact sheet is also available in Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Vietnamese (new), Korean and Traditional Chinese. Contact D'Neisha Simmons Jendayi at dneisha.simmonsjendayi@ketchum.com to request printed copies.

• A local DTV support look-up function by zip code is now available on the redesigned FCC Website, http://www.dtv.gov
• A new FCC/Consumers Union DTV Consumer Guide is also available at http://www.dtv.gov/dtv_made_easy.pdf
• To request a free loaner converter box for an event, contact Lindsay Conrad at lindsay.conrad@ketchum.com.
• The Coupon Program will roll out its Mobile Assistance Centers starting in mid-May. These traveling vans will visit 28 cities across the country with staff to demonstrate how to hook up a converter box and to help consumers apply for coupons. More on this on the NTIA website at https://www.dtv2009.gov/Partners.aspx
• A viral texting campaign targeting young adult consumers will also launch later this month in conjunction with the Mobile Assistance Centers.

Disability Groups Send Recommendations to Obama

December 22, 2008

 

President-Elect Barack Obama

Presidential Transition Team

Washington DC

 

Dear President-Elect Obama:

 

I write on behalf of a coalition of national consumer-led disability organizations to share some of our collective policy priorities for your new Administration.  Many disability organizations have been and will be sharing more specific recommendations that reflect their organizational priorities, but we wanted to work together on a joint document to highlight the areas that are of common interest and concern.  The process that led to the development of this document began with an advanced leadership forum in October in Boston (organized by the Boston Center for Independent Living) that brought together disability leaders from around the country to explore together how to strengthen our movement and cultivate new leaders.  The individuals who participated in that Fred Fay Advanced Leadership Forum then reached out to the leaders of national disability consumer organizations, and we decided collectively to work on this joint letter.

 

We stand committed to working with your Administration and an even larger coalition of disability and civil rights organizations to move forward on our common policy agenda.  As you work to fine-tune and implement your Plan to Empower Americans with Disabilities, we urge you to do so in partnership with organizations that are run by people with disabilities and that have strong grassroots constituencies like the groups that have come together to produce this letter.   In our experience, disability policy and public policy more generally works better when it comes from the constituencies that are its intended beneficiaries.

 

Thank you for your leadership on disability issues, and thank you for the opportunity to share our agenda as we enter into a period of extraordinary opportunities and challenges.

 

Sincerely,

 

Andrew J. Imparato

President and CEO

American Association of People with Disabilities

Dear President-elect Obama,

Congratulations on capturing the hearts, minds, and hopes of our nation! As grassroots, community-based, consumer-controlled disability organizations, which collectively represent over 50 million Americans with the full spectrum of disabilities, we look forward to working with you and your administration to make cost-effective policy changes to enhance the lives of and restore the civil liberties Americans with disabilities. 

 

Attached you will find nine summaries of the top policy issues facing Americans with disabilities. Taking action on your commitment and these policy measures will not only benefit citizens with disabilities, our nation’s wounded warriors, and the ever-growing aging population, it will benefit all Americans and save our government millions of dollars as individuals with disabilities become full participants in society.  

 

They include:

·         Employment: Reversing the persistently high percentages of people with disabilities who are not working but are ready, willing and able to work;

·         Education: Increasing access and opportunities for physical activity, and improving quality;

·         Health Care: Improving access and decreasing disparities and inequities;

·         Home and Community-based Services (HCBS): Promoting effective community-based services as alternatives to costly nursing homes and other institutions and increase the FMAP to states;

·         Disability Research: Promoting a quality of life and participation-based research agenda;

·         Civil Rights: Reinvigorating civil rights enforcement, extending access requirements to new technologies, and continuing to restore protections stripped away by hostile courts;

·         Human Rights: Protecting human rights of individuals with disabilities at home and abroad;

·         Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Needs: Planning, coordinating, and providing resources to support people with disabilities before, during, and after a crisis; and

·         Genetic Science and Technology: Promoting ethical use of new technologies.

Like you, we stand and sit on the shoulders of so many who have come before us. As our nation approaches the 20^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 2010, we embrace the disability rights principle, “Nothing About Us, Without Us.” For too long others claimed the need to speak for us, but no other group -  professionals or relatives - speak for us.

Additionally, we urge you to embrace the fundamental principles for sustainable change, which are essential elements to building healthy, resilient, empowered communities.  As you move forward with deliberate speed and consideration, we urge your administration to:

·         Provide oversight of federal agency public policy, regulatory, and enforcement actions, and collaborate with consumer and community-based disability organizations as partners to better serve the ever-expanding population of more than 50 million Americans with disabilities;

·         Hire qualified professionals with disabilities, who have expertise in policy areas, throughout the administration, including a Special Assistant to the President on Disability Policy;

·         Include individuals with disabilities in policy formation in all areas addressed by the administration, and integrate representatives of our community on all advisory boards of all major agencies;

·         Provide services that serve people with disabilities across the life span, from cradle to grave, and all those with increased needs for health care, health promotion, and long-term services and community-based supports;

·         Incorporate consumer-directed services and include consumers in policy development;

·         Embrace the disability experience as part of culturally competent policy and diversity at all levels of planning, policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation; and

·         Focus on “universal design” as a cost-effective innovative way to enhance the quality of life and level of participation of all Americans in community life and incorporate it into infrastructure changes in the economic stimulus package so we upgrade the infrastructure for all to use; 

 

Thank you for your support of the need for the federal government to be “diligent about making sure the states enforce the rights affirmed by the Olmstead decision.” Enabling people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes and communities, rather than being forced into costly Medicaid-funded nursing homes and other institutions will ensure civil liberties, enhance the quality of life and full participation of all Americans by creating stronger, sustainable communities of inclusion and acceptance to honor the 10^th Anniversary of the Olmstead decision.

As a community of individuals with disabilities, we ask for nothing more than what other Americans expect and already have. We seek inclusion. We seek a voice for the disability rights message in the change you create. As you create more jobs for Americans, include jobs for Americans with disabilities. As you improve education for America’s students, include students with disabilities. As you improve the healthcare system, include the healthcare needs of individuals with disabilities. As you restore civil rights to Americans, include the civil rights of individuals with disabilities. To paraphrase your now immortal words, - We are not a nation of disabled and non-disabled Americans. We are the United States of America.

We stand ready to work with you and look forward to an opportunity to discuss our priorities with you personally in the coming months.

 

Sincerely,

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)

Access Living

American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT)

Autistic Self Advocacy Network

Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL)

California Foundation for Independent Living Centers (CFILC)

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

Generations Ahead

Little People of America

Metro-West Center for Independent Living (MWCIL)

National Association of the Deaf (NAD)

National Coalition for Disability Rights (NCDR)

National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer Survivor Organizations

National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)

National Empowerment Center

National Federation of the Blind (NFB)

Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE)

Special Olympics

Texas State Independent Living Council (TX SILC)

World Institute on Disability (WID)

Attachments

For Policy Recommendations on each policy issue click links above

Disability Groups Send Transition Team Emergency Preparedness Recommendations

From Transition Letter Attachment Sent by AAPD and a Coalition of Consumer Controlled Organizations (12/22/08):

Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Needs 

 

Background:

 

·         Up to 1/3 of individuals affected by emergencies or disasters, have functional needs related to disability and/or chronic conditions that affect their safety, health and independence.

 

·         Policies, practices and programs of local, state and federal agencies charged with emergency management fail to adequately address the needs of individuals with disabilities. 

 

·         During emergencies and disasters, human and civil rights violations are rampant, despite simple and readily achievable solutions to protect lives and maximize limited resources.

 

·         Agencies charged with emergency management often underutilize experts in emergency management needs of people with disabilities, and often exclude them from planning and response at all levels.

 

·         The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) fails to adequately address proper disaster management needs and results in misuse of limited resources.

 

·         Studies show every dollar spent in preparedness saves nine dollars in response and recovery for the general population and significantly more for preparedness needs of individuals with disabilities.

 

Long Term Goals:

 

·         Establish a mandate for the interagency coordinating council to incorporate expertise available outside the federal government into its decision.

 

·         Appoint a coordinator with expertise in the needs of people with disabilities to all federal agencies with specific emergency preparedness responsibilities, and the authority and resources to act on them.

 

·         Provide adequate resources and authority to FEMA, the National Council on Disability, the HHS Office on Disability, and the Domestic Policy Council to design, implement, and coordinate policy and practice initiatives across agencies to improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

 

·         Mandate that emergency management agencies at every level engage disability community experts to help address the needs of people with disabilities before, during and after disasters.

 

Short Term Goals:

 

·         Ensure the National Security review team assesses FEMA’s progress in fulfilling the directives in the 2006 Stafford Act amendment as outlined by the ten statutory charges for the Disability Coordinator.

 

·         Establish an Office on Disability in FEMA with adequate authority and resources for the Disability Coordinator to fulfill the expectations of this position. 

 

·         Include expertise in emergency preparedness, response and recovery of people with disabilities on the Domestic Policy Council team and all other areas throughout the administration charged with emergency preparedness.

 

·         Change the composition and authority of the Interagency Coordinating Council formed under Executive Order 13347 to include private sector experts at the table.

 

·         Ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to necessary services and supports to maintain health and independence during, and after emergencies, disasters, and/or crises.

Emergency Personnel to Train in Disability Issues

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           
Nov. 25, 2008               
Media contact: Rebecca Panoff
Communications Manager, AAPD
                       
AAPD Partners with CEPIN to Create Emergency Management Web Training
People with Disabilities Will Benefit

WASHINGTON, DC - November 25, 2008 - The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is pleased to partner with the Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) to develop an emergency management web-based training program. AAPD, the largest cross-disability membership organization in the U.S., will provide technical assistance to CEPIN on content and usability for the training program.

This self-paced, web-based training will increase public awareness about challenges that people with various functional needs, including those with disabilities, face during disasters and will examine the needs gaps in emergency plans. The pilot program for the training will launch in Spring 2009 and will jumpstart the dialogue needed to develop mutual understanding and respect between the special needs and emergency management communities.

“Raising the awareness of the disability community’s needs when emergencies happen is critical to the inclusion and empowerment of individuals with disabilities and their families. AAPD is excited to participate in a network that can save lives and improve planning and services for everyone in the wake of a disaster,” said Andrew J. Imparato, President and CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities.

“People with disabilities are among the most adversely affected in emergency situations, often left out and left behind.” said Jenifer Simpson, Senior Director for Technology Initiatives at the American Association of People with Disabilities. “Through this training effort we hope to encourage emergency managers to work directly with the disability community and other groups with similar functional needs. CEPIN’s training will be a big step forward in reaching this goal.”