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Disaster
Mitigation for Persons with Disabilities
For the 54 million Americans with disabilities, and millions of
others around the world, surviving a disaster can be the
beginning of a greater struggle. Whether an individual with a
disability requires electricity to power a respirator,
life-sustaining medication, mobility assistance, or post
disaster recovery services, relief organizations and rescue
personnel increasingly must be prepared to address the needs of
that individual in the hours and days following a disaster.
Similarly, efforts to accommodate disabled
Americans frequently ignore disaster preparedness and response.
As a result, too few disaster response officials are trained to
deal effectively with people with disabilities, and too few
disabled Americans have the knowledge that could help them save
their own lives.
Seven key principles should guide disaster
relief:
1. Accessible Disaster Facilities and
Services:
Communications technology is vital for people with
disabilities during a disaster to help assess damage, collect
information, and deploy supplies. Access to appropriate
facilities -- housing, beds, toilets, and other necessities --
must be monitored and made available to individuals with
disabilities before, during, and after a disaster. This access
also must be ensured for those who incur a disability as a
result of a disaster. Appropriate planning and management of
information related to architectural accessibility improves the
provision of disaster services for persons with disabilities.
2. Accessible Communications and Assistance:
As communications technology and policy become more integral
to disaster relief and mitigation, providing accessibility to
the technology for people with disabilities becomes more
essential. For example, people with hearing impairments require
interpreters, TDD communications, and signaling devices. In
addition, written materials must be produced on cassette tape,
on CD-ROM, or in large print for people with visual impairments.
People with cognitive impairments, such as those with
developmental disabilities, Alzheimer's disease, or brain
injury, require assistance to cope with new surroundings and to
minimize confusion factors. It is crucial that people with
disabilities help develop accessible communications and reliable
assistance technologies.
3. Accessible and Reliable Rescue
Communications:
Accessible and reliable communications technology is
critical to ensuring fast, effective, and competent field
treatment of people with disabilities. Current satellite and
cellular technology as well as personal communication networks
permit communication in areas with a damaged or destroyed
communication infrastructure. Communications technologies can
assist field personnel in rescue coordination and tracking and
can be combined with databases that house information on optimal
treatment for particular disabilities or that track the
allocation of post disaster resources.
4. Partnerships with the Disability
Community:
Disability organizations must join with relief and rescue
organizations and the media to educate and inform their
constituents of disaster contingency and self-help plans. A
nationwide awareness effort should be devised and implemented to
inform people with disabilities about necessary precautions for
imminent disaster. In the event of a sudden natural disaster,
such a program would minimize injury and facilitate rescue
efforts. In addition, more young people with disabilities should
be encouraged to study technology, medicine, science, and
engineering as a way of gaining power over future technological
advances in disaster relief and mitigation.
5. Disaster Preparation, Education, and
Training:
Communications technologies are crucial for educating the
public about disaster preparedness and warning the people most
likely to be affected. Relief and rescue operations must have
the appropriate medical equipment, supplies, and training to
address the immediate needs of people with disabilities.
Affected individuals may require bladder bags, insulin pumps,
walkers, or wheelchairs. Relief personnel must be equipped and
trained in the use of such equipment. In addition, relief
personnel should provide training, particularly for personnel
and volunteers in the field, on how to support the independence
and dignity of persons with disabilities in the aftermath of a
disaster.
6. Partnerships with the Media:
Many natural disasters can be predicted in advance. Disaster
preparedness for people with disabilities is critical in
minimizing the impact of a disaster. The media -- in partnership
with disability and governmental organizations -- should
incorporate advisories into emergency broadcasts in formats
accessible to people with disabilities. Such advisories alert
the public, provide a mechanism for informing rescue personnel
of individual medical conditions and impairments, and identify
accessible emergency shelters. The creation and repetition of
accessible media messages is critical for empowering people with
disabilities to protect themselves from disasters.
7. Universal Design and Implementation
Strategies:
Designing universal access into disaster relief plans, far
from being a costly proposition, can pay off handsomely. As
accessible communications tools become more widely available,
their price will decrease. In addition, a universal design
approach to meeting the needs of people with disabilities before
and after a disaster will benefit many people without
disabilities, such as the very young or the aged. A look at
existing agreements among relief organizations and local, state,
federal, and international governments will offer guidance in
developing effective strategies for universal design and
implementation plans. The federal government's role has yet to
be defined, but it could encourage or even mandate universal
design and set standards. For example, the federal government
could provide guidelines for evacuation plans or pre-disaster
warning periods.
From a report by The Annenberg Washington
Program written in collaboration with the President's Committee
on the Employment of People with Disabilities by
Dr. Peter David Blanck, Annenberg Senior
Fellow. |
highlights key disability concerns for officials and experts responsible for emergency planning in their communities. 
