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Abstract
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Wherever you live, your community likely includes people with access and functional needs, identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as "individuals who need assistance due to any condition (temporary or permanent) that limits their ability to take action" (FEMA, 2014). People with access and functional needs in a disaster may include people in a wide range of communities:
• People with limited proficiency in spoken or written English, who may need disaster warnings and other emergency information provided in languages they read and speak
• People who are deaf or hard of hearing who use American Sign Language and need information provided in that language
• People who are blind or people with low vision, who may need written information provided in braille, large-print, or audio formats
• People with intellectual or developmental disabilities, who may need information provided in simplified language
• People who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices, who may need accessible shelters and transportation options for evacuation
• People who use medications to manage health conditions, including mental health conditions and recovery from substance use disorders, as medications may
be hard to get during and after disaster
• People with serious mental illness, who may have developed networks of service professionals and supports that may be disrupted by disaster
• People who do not own personal vehicles or have access to transportation for evacuation
• People in any other group who may need resources or support to take action before, during, and after a disaster in support of their health, well-being, and usual functioning
To ensure whole-community preparedness and effective disaster response and recovery, you will need to include and account for people with access and functional needs in all phases of emergency management and disaster response. |