Transcript Coordinators Briefing

Individuals with Developmental,
Intellectual, and Mental Health
Disabilities and Emergency
Preparedness
Individual Preparedness
Getting Information Out About An
Emergency Plan
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Through the media (TV, radio, newspapers)
Presentations to disability support groups and
organizations, advocacy groups, CILs, and service
organizations such as Community Services Boards.
Include disability planning tips in any emergency
planning handouts, posters or brochures.
Disability organizations and groups should learn the
information or have speakers to come in and conduct
trainings on types of disasters, developing a plan
and the importance of having a plan.
Individual Preparedness
Getting Information Out About An
Emergency Plan
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Discussions with consumers when they meet
either one-on-one or in a group setting.
Emergency announcements need to be in
multiple accessible formats.
Provide step-by-step guidelines/template on
what will go into the plan and for how to develop
a plan but remind the individual the plan needs
to fit their specific needs and work one-on-one
with them developing the plan.
Individual Preparedness
What to include in Go-Kit
or Disaster Box?
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List of Items contained in the kit.
List will help if you need to replace items.
See handout “Disaster Preparedness“ of items
for the Go-Kit or Disaster Box.
Include any disability specific items that you will
need for your disability.
If you rely on communication devices, be sure to
include an alternate power source.
Individual Preparedness
What to include in Go-Kit
or Disaster Box?
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Pack a favorite item to help maintain focus while
waiting in lines or while at a shelter. (i.e., video
game, book, etc.)
A list of current medications, contact numbers
and important papers.
A large Disaster Box for at home with additional
food items for sheltering-in-place.
A smaller “Go-Kit” that you can easily take with
you when evacuating.
Individual Preparedness
Alerting Others To Your Needs
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Sentara has a “File of Life” magnet that can be
placed on a refrigerator that contains detailed
information about your medical conditions,
medications, allergies, etc.
Keep a copy of your “File of Life” in your Go-Kit
or Disaster Box or “Emergency Preparedness”
handout.
For certain medical conditions there are medical
alert bracelets that you wear that would alert
emergency personnel to your condition.
Individual Preparedness
Alerting Others To Your Needs
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Develop pre-printed messages to show first
responders (i.e., “I may have difficulty
understanding what you are telling me, so please
speak slowly and use simple language.”)
A non-verbal person could use an alphabet card
that they can use to spell on to communicate or
pictures that they can point out if they are hurt or
scared, etc.
Individual Preparedness
Natural Supports and Emergency Plan
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Contact the people you know and trust (i.e., family,
friends, co-workers, personal care attendant, etc.) to
see if they will assist you during a disaster.
Identify and create a personal support team of 3
people in each setting you are routinely in during the
week who are willing to assist you if an emergency
occurs while you are there.
Consider your regular schedule: home, work,
school, church, recreation, volunteer activities-where are you frequently?
Individual Preparedness
Natural Supports and Emergency Plan
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Consider what type of assistance you will need.
Consider the physical stamina, whether your
support team member would be able to take on
another person to assist (i.e. number of children
and their ages, room in their vehicle, etc.).
Talk to your personal support team about what
assistance you would need and if they would be
willing and able to assist you.
Individual Preparedness
Natural Supports and Emergency Plan
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Orient your personal support team when
developing your plan to key tasks that you will
need them to assist you with and put it in your
plan.
Practice your plan with your personal support team
before a disaster happens.
Keep in touch with your personal support teams
and review if circumstances or ability to assist has
changed.
Keep your personal support teams updated on
your contact information, including your various
phone numbers (home/cell/work).
Evacuation
Notifying the Public
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Through the media (TV, radio, newspapers)
Set up a system with your natural supports to
notify you when an evacuation is ordered or
recommended.
Take evacuation recommendations and orders
seriously! Do not hesitate to get moving!
Leave as soon as possible when transportation will
be available and before panic by the “general
population” sets in.
Evacuation
Notifying the Public
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Ensure that news coverage of impending
emergency situations are close captioned
including breaking alerts.
When an audio alert is sounded on the TV, and
writing is scrolling on the screen, be sure that the
information is verbalized by the broadcaster.
Instructions should be clear, simple, to the point
and easy to follow.
Evacuation
Notifying the Public
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Reading alerts will assure that people with visual
or intellectual or mental health disabilities or
language barriers will understand.
Many people with disabilities have multiple
disabilities that cross over the various disability
groupings and all information should be accessible
to all types of disabilities.
Those that have registered with their locality
should be contacted by the locality to notify them
of an evacuation order and to ascertain their status
and if assistance is needed to evacuate.
Evacuation
Problems During An Evacuation
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Contact your support network and follow the
emergency preparedness plan you have practiced.
Get your Go-Kit and add any last minute supplies
(medications, disability specific items, food,
clothes, etc.)
Gather any equipment that you need to function
(i.e., wheelchair, communication board, artificial
larynx, etc.) and associated supplies and back up
power source.
Evacuation
Problems During An Evacuation
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Develop pre-printed messages to show first
responders (i.e., “I need to take my communication
board”) and indicate the location of the device.
Focus on the instructions you are given and follow
them.
Develop short answers to describe your disability
and your needs to tell first responders in case your
pre-printed materials are not available.
Sheltering: What to Include in a
“General Population Shelter” to Make it
Accessible?
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Local Emergency Preparedness staff should
connect with the disability community to ensure
the shelter is accessible to all types of disabilities,
(physically, signage and pictures).
ALL shelters should meet basic A.D.A. standards
for accessibility and accommodations.
Sign language and other language interpreters
should be available.
Generator to provide power for necessary
equipment (refrigerator, respirators, sleep apnea
machine, etc.).
Sheltering
What to Include in “General Population
Shelter” to Make it Accessible?
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Triage set up for medical emergencies and medical
and behavioral health personnel (doctors/nurses).
Personal care attendants to assist those with
transferring and basic hygiene.
All announcements should be also posted in a
common area using simple and concise language.
Service animals should be allowed as they provide
services to a person with a disability.
Basic medicines (pain relief, insulin, etc.) and
refrigeration to keep any medicines cold that
require it.
Future Planning/Next Steps
Why it’s Important for People With Disabilities
to Participate in Emergency Planning
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Advisors with disabilities that are qualified (have
an understanding of disaster preparedness and
disabilities) can think through issues from a
disability perspective.
Include representatives from the various disability
populations to serve on the planning committees
(cognitive, physical, sensory).
Utilizing their expertise-can develop accessible,
inclusive and appropriate programs and help
prevent costly mistakes.
Future Planning/Next Steps
Involvement in On-going Emergency
Planning in the Community
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Continue Involvement of persons with disabilities in
trainings such as this to share information and be a
resource to the community.
Plan ongoing training on Independent Living Skills
and emergency preparedness for people with
disabilities at independent living centers broken
into various topic areas.
Future Planning/Next Steps
Accommodations Needed to Participate
in Planning Efforts in your Locality
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Provide an accessible location for meetings.
Provide accommodations as needed for the person
serving on the planning committees based on the
individual’s need.
Provide transportation assistance, if applicable.
Provide materials in alternative formats as needed
during the planning phase and for materials
developed out of the planning sessions to be made
available to the public.
Future Planning/Next Steps
Strengths People with Disabilities Bring
To The Table in Planning Efforts
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Advisors with disabilities that are qualified (have
an understanding of disaster preparedness and
disabilities) can think through issues from a
disability perspective.
Advisors with disabilities can assist with getting
the word out to the community about existing
plans and participation
They know the local resources.
Where do we go from here?
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Next steps for our community
Identify additional community leaders for
participation in planning, including business,
non- profit, and faith communities
Locate accessible buildings for training, and
strategies for developing a more inclusive
process to ensure vulnerable populations are
involved in the developmental phases
Event Exercises should include all populations