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April 26, 2005
Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning
WASHINGTON—The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a report "Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning" recommending immediate federal changes in emergency planning for people with disabilities.
According to NCD chairperson Lex Frieden, “Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning," provides an overview of steps the Federal Government should take to build a solid and resilient infrastructure that will enable the government to include the diverse populations of people with disabilities in emergency preparedness, disaster relief, and homeland security programs. This infrastructure would incorporate access to technology, physical plants, programs, and communications. It also would include procurement and emergency programs and services.”
The decisions the Federal Government makes, the priority it accords to civil rights, and the methods it adopts to ensure uniformity in the ways agencies handle their disability-related responsibilities are likely to be established in the early days of an emergency situation and be difficult to change if not set on the right course at the outset. By way of this report, NCD offers advice to assist the Federal Government in establishing policies and practices in these areas. This report provides examples of community efforts with respect to people with disabilities, but by no means does it provide a comprehensive treatment of the emergency preparedness, disaster relief, or homeland security program efforts by state and local governments.
Posted by Nancy at April 26, 2005 11:01 AM