Emergency Preparedness for People
with Disabilities |

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LINKS WITH INFORMATION FOR PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES
There are a number of organizations that have developed emergency
preparedness information specific persons with disabilities or special
needs.
American Red Cross
www.redcross.org/services/disaster/
The American Red Cross has the following information available on their
web site for emergency preparedness that is specifically related to
persons with disabilities:
- Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities (Booklet)
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/disability.pdf
- This 48-page booklet is designed to help people who have physical,
visual, auditory or cognitive disabilities to prepare for natural
disasters and their consequences. It can be downloaded from this Red
Cross web site. The booklet is available in English only.
- The booklet is also available for a small charge in an audiocassette
tape (English only). To obtain a copy, contact the main Red Cross number
listed below:
American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles
2700 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90057-3202
Phone: 213-739-5200
- Emergency Plan for People with Disabilities and Mobility Issues
This brochure is can be downloaded from this labt.org web site. See
Home Page and click on “Get a Brochure.”
- Disaster Preparedness for Seniors By Seniors
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/seniors.html
- This several page pamphlet provides additional information for
the elderly and people with special medical concerns that could
hinder mobility during a disaster. It can be downloaded for free
from the Red Cross web site.
- The pamphlet is available in the following languages: English,
Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
- Additional Information on American Red Cross web site that
related to persons with disabilities:
Go to main web site at:
http://www.redcross.org/. Next click on “Disaster Services” and then
“Foreign Language Materials”
The American Red Cross has disaster preparedness materials
available on their web site for the below disability-related topics.
The materials are not all available in the same foreign languages.
To see what languages are available for a specific topic, click on
the “Foreign Language Materials” link listed above.
- Earthquake Tips for People With Disabilities
- People Who Are Hearing Impaired
- People With Environmental Illness or Chemical Sensitivities
- People With Special Medical Needs
- People Who Use Life Support Systems
- People With Psychiatric Disabilities
- Helping Young Children Cope With Trauma
City of Los Angeles Department of Disability (DOD)
http://www.lacity.org/dod/
213-485-6334
213-485-6655 - TTY
The DOD web site has information on emergency preparedness for people
with disabilities, including a 46 page handbook that can be downloaded
for free. The handbook is easy to read with large print and includes
information that will be of special interest to those with visual, and
mobility disabilities, owners of service animals and pets, persons who
are deaf and hard-of-hearing, and those with special medical needs.
Living Independently in Los Angeles (LILA)
http://lila.ucla.edu
LILA is a consumer-directed and regionally focused online project to
benefit people with disabilities living in Los Angeles County. LILA uses
a GIS-based (Geographic Information Systems - a map formatting tool),
interactive information resource database, created by local residents
with disabilities using their personal "expert knowledge" to identify
and map local independent living resources. Through collaborations with
local governments and private non-profit community service agencies, the
LILA information system incorporates a variety of databases relevant to
the Los Angeles disability and senior community. These may include the
locations of services and programs benefiting people with disabilities,
local businesses serving the community, accessibility features of
publicly subsidized housing, inclusive recreation programs, independent
living resource information, etc.
The LILA project's purpose is to empower disabled residents of Los
Angeles in their efforts to successfully and independently integrate
into the social, physical and political fabric of their communities.
Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions (CDIHP)
http://www.cdihp.org
- Western University in Pomona, California established CDIHP in 1998
in response to the concerns of the disability community. The Center
focuses on: 1) Improving the capabilities of health care providers to
meet the needs of people with disabilities through the integration of
disability
- CDIHP has many online resources, including a booklet, “Emergency
Evacuation Preparedness: A Guide for People with Disability and Other
Activity Limitations.” This 36-page guide focuses on people with
disabilities and activity limitations successfully evacuating buildings.
Its goal is to help people with disabilities strengthening their
evacuation preparedness.
- This material is available online on the above web site or for a
hard copy, can be obtained for $24.00 from CDHIP. Contact: 909.623.6116
Disabled People and Disaster Planning (DP2)
DP2 was a group of people primarily from Los Angeles County who met
during 1996 and 1997 and formulated recommendations to reduce or
eliminate problems with accessibility that many disabled people
experienced after the Northridge Earthquake of 1994. Within the group
were individuals with disabilities and individuals from the disaster
planning and response professions.
Although DP2 is no longer a committee, the web site is maintained by
two members of DP2 in order to continue disseminating information to
interested people in Los Angeles and other localities subject to major
earth movements. The web site contains the group's recommendations, as
well as other information relevant to assisting people with disabilities
prepare for and cope with disastrous earthquakes. From time to time, new
information may be added.
Contact information for DP2: Robert Gorski, 626-744-4782 (voice
and TDD)
626-744-7035 (fax); E-mail: rgorski@ci.pasadena.ca.us
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
http://www.fema.gov/library/disprepf.shtm
- FEMA has a one page sheet with tips on disaster preparedness for
people with disabilities on their web site. Available in English only
The National Organization on Disability (NOD)
http://www.nod.org/emergency
- NOD launched it Emergency Preparedness Initiative in the wake of
the September 11th terrorist attack. The objectives of the initiative
are: 1) to make sure that the special needs of people with disabilities
are adequately addressed prior to an emergency in order to minimize the
adverse impact on them and their communities and 2) to ensure that
people with disabilities are included in the emergency planning process
at all levels of government so they can offer their insights, knowledge,
and resourcefulness.
- As a result of the initiative, NOD developed a “Guide on the Special
Needs of People with Disabilities” for emergency managers, planners &
responders that highlights key disability concerns to those officials
and experts responsible for emergency planning in their communities, and
assists them in developing plans that will take into account the needs
and insights of people with disabilities before, during and after
emergencies.
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This page was last reviewed by Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health on July 19, 2005
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