Individuals with Developmental, Intellectual, and Mental Health Disabilities and Emergency Preparedn

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Individuals with Developmental, Intellectual, and
Mental Health Disabilities and Emergency
Preparedness
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Getting Information Out About An Emergency Plan
Individual Preparedness

• 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.

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Getting Information Out About An Emergency Plan
Individual Preparedness

• 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.

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What to include in Go-Kitor Disaster Box?
Individual Preparedness

• 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.

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What to include in Go-Kitor Disaster Box?
Individual Preparedness

• 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.

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Alerting Others To Your Needs
Individual Preparedness

• 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.

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Alerting Others To Your Needs
Individual Preparedness

• 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.

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Natural Supports and Emergency Plan
Individual Preparedness

• 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?

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Natural Supports and Emergency Plan
Individual Preparedness

• 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.

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Natural Supports and Emergency Plan
Individual Preparedness

• 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).

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Notifying the Public
Evacuation

• 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.

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Notifying the Public
Evacuation

• 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.

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Notifying the Public
Evacuation

• 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.

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Problems During An Evacuation
Evacuation

• 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.

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Problems During An Evacuation
Evacuation

• 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.

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Sheltering What to Include in a General
Population Shelter to Make it Accessible?

• 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.).

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What to Include in General Population Shelter
to Make it Accessible?
Sheltering

• 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.

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Why its Important for People With
Disabilitiesto Participate in Emergency Planning
Future Planning/Next Steps

• 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.

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Involvement in On-going EmergencyPlanning in the
Community
Future Planning/Next Steps

• 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.

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Accommodations Needed to Participatein Planning
Efforts in your Locality
Future Planning/Next Steps

• Provide an accessible location for meetings.
• Provide accommodations as needed for the person
  serving on the planning committees based on the
  individuals 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.

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Strengths People with Disabilities BringTo The
Table in Planning Efforts
Future Planning/Next Steps

• 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.

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Where do we go from here?

• 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