Accessibility - sponsored by Universal Design Newsletter
FEMA Releases Disability Disaster Reference Guide
On August 21, the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released a new reference guide that outlines existing legal requirements and standards relating to access for people with disabilities. A Reference Guide for Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities in the Provision of Disaster Mass Care, Housing and Human Services is the first of a series of disability-related guidelines to be produced by FEMA for disaster preparedness and response planners and service providers.
The document summarizes equal access requirements for people with disabilities within disaster mass care, housing, and human services functions. The Guide explains how applicable federal laws relate to government entities, the private sector, and religious organizations. A full copy of the Guide may be accessed at www.fema.gov/oer/reference.
Under the Homeland Security Appropriations bill (H.R. 5441) signed by President Bush on October 4, 2006, the National Council on Disability (NCD) has been assigned key responsibilities for disability-related issues in homeland security. These responsibilities involve the administrator of FEMA working, in conjunction with other FEMA staff, with NCD and others (e.g., a national advisory council, organizations representing people with disabilities) on at least nine major tasks including the following:
- Appointing a disability coordinator;
- Interacting regarding the needs of individuals with disabilities in emergency planning requirements and relief efforts in the event of a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or other man-made disaster;
- Completing, revising, and updating, as necessary, guidelines to define risk-based target capabilities for Federal, State, local, and tribal government preparedness that will enable the Nation to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and others;
- Carrying out a national training program to implement the national preparedness goal, National Incident Management System, National Response Plan, and other related plans and strategies;
- Carrying out a national exercise program to test and evaluate the national preparedness goal, National Incident Management System, National Response Plan, and other related plans and strategies;
- Establishing a comprehensive system to assess, on an ongoing basis, the Nation's prevention capabilities and overall preparedness, including operational readiness;
- Establishing a remedial action management program to (1) analyze training, exercises, and real-world events to identify and disseminate lessons learned and best practices; (2) generate and disseminate, as appropriate, after-action reports to participants in exercises and real-world events; and (3) conduct remedial action tracking and long-term trend analysis;
- Developing, coordinating, and maintaining a national disaster housing strategy; and
- Developing guidelines to accommodate individuals with disabilities, which shall include guidelines for (1) the accessibility of, and communications and programs in, shelters, recovery centers, and other facilities; and (2) devices used in connection with disaster operations, including first aid stations, mass feeding areas, portable payphone stations, portable toilets, and temporary housing.
NCD continues to meet with key FEMA and DHS staff, as well as with national organizations representing people with disabilities, about these key responsibilities and the direction FEMA is taking to fulfill its new disability mandates under H.R. 5441.
To read NCD's latest document on emergency preparedness, please go to The Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on People with Disabilities: A Look Back and Remaining Challenges at http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2006/hurricanes_impact.htm.