-
(No author).
(Summer 2006).
Fair Housing News.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is a newsletter put out by the Fair Housing office. It is the summer 2006 issue an includes several short articles about fair housing and helping displaced victims of Hurricane Katrina. There is some reference of people with disabilities.
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Hanson, Jon; Hanson, Kathleen.
(Summer 2006).
The Blame Frame: Justifying (Racial) Injustice in America.
Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review.
Harvard University.
Vol. 41,
Issue 2.
Pp. 413.
The article discusses the racial injustice suffered and perpetuated in America. Includes a discussion of effects of Hurricane Katrina on poor blacks, including the elderly and those with disabilities, in New Orleans.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Edwards, George E.
(Spring 2006).
International Human Rights Law Violations Before, During, and After Hurricane Katrina: An International Law Framework for Analysis.
Thurgood Marshall Law Review.
Thurgood Marshall Scool of Law.
Pp. 353.
The law review article discusses how procedures and lack of action in response to Hurricane Katrina violated international laws. The article mentions people with disabilities and their right to be free from discrimination
(Available via licensed database.)
-
Mead, Robert A.
(Spring 2006).
St. Rita's and Lost Causes: Improving Nursing Home Emergency Preparedness.
Marquette's Elder Advisor.
Marquette University.
Vol. 7,
Pp. 153.
The article examines recent nursing home tragedies caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita as caused by non-evacuations and problematic evacuations. The article also details the federal regulations requiring nursing homes to develop emergency preparedness and evacuation plans.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(2006).
The National Organization on Disability's (N.O.D.) Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) announces Special Needs Assessment 4 Katrina Evacuation (S.N.A.K.E.).
National Organization on Disability.
With the objective of assessing delivery of services and recovery efforts for the nearly 250,000 people with disabilities in the region impacted by Hurricane Katrina, the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) deployed the Special Needs Assessment
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(No author).
(2006).
VA POST-KATRINA HEALTH MANUAL: Information for Health Care Providers and Patients.
South Central VA Health Care Network.
Provides questionnaires and fact sheets for veterans and medical personnel. This document contains information on both physical and mental disorders and impairments caused as a result of the storm. While this document includes persons with chronic disabilities, it is primarily focused on acute care related to specific storm-exacerbated injuries
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(No author).
(2006).
Final Environmental Assessment: Groom Parish Emergency Temporary Housing Site.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This report is a final assessment of the environmental impact of a temporary housing site. There is nothing here specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Effective Emergency Preparedness Planning: Addressing the Needs of Employees with Disabilities.
U.S. Department of Labor: Office of Disability Employment Policy.
The web page is directed towards employees with disabilities and their employers. It discusses the legal and general considerations of having employees with disabilities. It gives a checklist for employees of guidelines and plans that need to be in place in order to ensure their safety of their employees.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Contact Information.
Hurricane Katrina Disaster Information Website.
This page contains contact information for various agencies to help individuals recover from Hurricane Katrina.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Strategies in Emergency-Preparedness for Transportation- Dependent Populations.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This document provides an overview of the importance of planning for transportation for persons who need assistance during an emergency. It discusses specific measures that communities have used to ensure the transportation is provided, as well as uncovering what still remains to be accomplished in terms of improving transportating for these dependent populations.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Transportation and Emergency Preparedness Checklist.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This is a transportation and emergency preparedness checklist that was developed after a conference on the Coordination of Human Service Transportation. It is specific to people who have mobility impairments.
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(No author).
(2006).
Settlement Agreement in Brou v. FEMA.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The paper is a settlement aggreement between the plaintiffs, persons with disabilities displaced by Hurricane Katrina, and the defendents, FEMA. The plaintiffs alleged that FEMA violated the Rehabilitation Act, the Fair Housing Act, and the Stafford Act.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Prepare Yourself: Disaster Readiness Tips for Owners of Pets or Service Animals.
National Organization on Disability.
This short brochure discusses how people with disabilites who have service animals should prepare for disasters.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Fact Sheet National Preparedness Month 2006.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The web page stateswhat the Department of Homeland Security is doing in respect of the National Preparedness Month. The web pape says that activities throughout the nation will give people the chance to learn more about emergency preparedness, make a family emergency plan, be informed about different threats, create an emergency supply kit, and get involved in preparing their communities.
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(No author).
(2006).
The Needs of People with Psychiatric Disabilities During and After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Position Paper and Recommendations.
National Council on Disability.
In Fall of 2005, the destructive forces of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita wreaked an emotional as well as a physical toll on residents of the Gulf Coast region. Millions of Americans from across the country reached out to hurricane survivors, opening their homes and their hearts. Government employees at local, state and federal levels worked long and hard to help evacuate and rescue people in the Gulf Coast. Many of these people are still in the Gulf Coast helping to rebuild communities. In the months since the hurricanes devastated the Gulf Coast, media coverage of the hurricane survivors has waned. However, for hurricane survivors with psychiatric disabilities, the hurricanes’ destruction resulted in “trauma that didn’t last 24 hours, then go away. ... It goes on and on.” Some of these challenges were unavoidable. As one government official said, “No one ever planned for ‘what happens when your social service infrastructure is completely wiped out.’” Nonetheless, many of the problems could have been avoided with proper planning. As NCD predicted in its April 2005 report, Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Disaster Planning, “[i]f planning does not embrace the value that everyone should survive, they will not.” As a result of its research, NCD found that much pre-Katrina disaster planning did not contemplate the needs of people with psychiatric disabilities, and as a result, many people died or unnecessarily suffered severely traumatic experiences. This paper includes the following major findings and recommendations, as well as various specific recommendations for emergency management officials and policymakers at the local, state and federal levels.
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Barkoff, Eva Jacob.
(2006).
Aging council drawing up plans for evacuation.
New Orleans Times-Picayune.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Congregations Who Care - Prepare.
National Organization on Disability.
This website discusses specific steps a congregation can take to assist people with disabilities before a man-made or natural disaster.
-
(No author).
(2006).
The Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on People with Disabilities.
National Council on Disability.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the lives of many people who lived in the Gulf Coast region. Fortunately, millions of Americans opened their homes and their hearts to hurricane survivors while local, state, and federal government employees worked around the clock to evacuate and rescue people. With almost a year since the Hurricanes made landfall and wreaked havoc on the lives of many, we now have a clearer understanding of what went right, as well as what went wrong, with the response and recovery efforts. As this report will demonstrate, people with disabilities were disproportionately affected by the Hurricanes because their needs were often overlooked or completely disregarded. Their evacuation, shelter, and recovery experiences differed vastly from the experiences of people without disabilities. People with disabilities were often unable to evacuate because transportation was inaccessible. For example, most evacuation busses did not have wheelchair lifts. Moreover, people with visual and hearing disabilities were unable to obtain necessary information pertinent to their safety because said communication did not comply with federal law. To ensure that people with disabilities do not experience similar injustices during future catastrophes, emergency plans must acknowledge and address the difficulties experienced by people with disabilities discussed within this report, as well as include people with disabilities in rebuilding efforts. The National Council on Disability (NCD) offers these findings on the impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on people with disabilities to guide the President, Congress, and other emergency planners to develop inclusive emergency preparedness and response plans.
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Rudowitz, Robin Rowand, Diane & Shartzer, Adele.
(2006).
Health Care in New Orleans Before and After Hurricane Katrina.
Health Affairs.
Vol. 25,
Before Hurricane Katrina struck in August 2005, New Orleans had a largelypoor and African American population with one of the nation’s highest uninsurance rates,and many relied on the Charity Hospital system for care. The aftermath of Katrina devastated the New Orleans health care safety net, entirely changing the city’s health care landscape and leaving many without access to care a year after the storm. State and local officials face the challenge of rebuilding and improving the city’s health care system by assuring health care coverage forthe population and promoting broader access to primary care and community-based health services. [Health Affairs 25 (2006): w393–w406;10.1377/hlthaff.25.w393]
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(No author).
(2006).
Katrina Aid Today.
National Disability Rights Network.
Brochure about "Katrina aid today" however does not give any information about disabled people.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Gulf Coast States Prepare for Hurricane Katrina.
American Red Cross.
The website provides general information about Hurricane Katrina's coming, and indicates that all the Red Cross shelters north of I-20 will be opening that night. Power has been restored to more than 500,000 Florida customers who lost it when Katrina bl
-
(No author).
(2006).
HUD Disaster Recovery Assistance.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Community Planning.
The web page addresses how employers should go about ensuring for the safety of their employees in the case of an emergency or evacuation and whether or not they can obtain medical information in order to better assist them in case of an emergency. It covers the legalities of what information employers are allowed to ask for.
-
(No author).
(2006).
HUD Disaster Recovery Assistance.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Community Planning.
The web page addresses how employers should go about ensuring for the safety of their employees in the case of an emergency or evacuation and whether or not they can obtain medical information in order to better assist them in case of an emergency. It covers the legalities of what information employers are allowed to ask for.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Disaster Response and Recovery Resource for Transit Agencies.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
The Federal Transit Administration has documented practices and procedures to improve emergency preparedness. The purpose of this Disaster Response and Recovery Resource for Transit Agencies is to provide local transit agencies and transportation providers with useful information and best practices in emergency preparedness and disaster response and recovery. The report discusses the reliance individuals with disability have on public transportation.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Rough Start for State's Effort to Remake Faltering Schools in New Orleans.
New York Times.
This article discusses the difficulty parents are encountering who have children with disability in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
-
Ripley, Amanda.
(2006).
Floods, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Wildfires, Earthquakes…Why We Don't Prepare.
JIK.com.
This is a Time Magazine article that discusses the national conference on disaster and emergency planning in Boulder Colorado. There is no mention of people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Katrina Aid to Individuals with Disabilities (KAID).
MS Protection and Advocacy System.
A link on the MPAS' website to KAID.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Individuals with Special Needs.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The web page is a short list of helpful tips for emergency preparing and planning for people with disabilities, as well as critical steps in preparing for an evacuation.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and other Special Needs.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This is FEMA's emergency planning guide for individuals with disabilities. It discusses self-assessment, creating an emergency kit, being informed, making transporation and evacuation plans, as well as a disaster checklist.
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June Kailes, Hilary Hilary Styron and Elizabeth Davis.
(2006).
Making Lessons Documented-Real!-Integrating Disability Issues into Instructors' Toolkits.
JIK.com.
These are the slides from a powerpoint presentation about the impact of Hurricane Katrina on people with special needs. The powerpoint gives a definition of who people with special needs are, including a list of transportation, communication, and medical needs. The powerpoint also includes pictures from the Gulf Coast area.
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Valerie Faciane.
(2006).
Agency offers services to aid elders, disabled; Pilot state program grew after Katrina.
New Orleans Times-Picayune.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Key Facts-States Most Affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Kaiser Family Foundation.
This is a chart that gives statistics about people receiving health care/Medicaid and people who were uninsured in the states affected by Hurricane Katrina and Rita.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Continuing Progress: A 1 Year Update on Hurricane Recovery and Rebuilding.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Office of the Secretary.
The paper gives a one-year update on the recovery and rebuilding process in the Gulf Coast Area. The paper discusses the rebuilding of communities including housing needs, discusses repairing and strengthening infrastructure, rebuilding the economy, providing healthcare, as well as still providing immediate relief and rescue. The paper is not specific to people with disabilities, but it does mention how efforts are focusing on finding housing and getting health care for people with disabilities, as well as including them in future emergency planning.
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Perry , Michael; Dulio, Adrianne Artiga, Samantha Shartzer, Adele and Roussea, David.
(2006).
Voices of the Storm: Health Experience of Low-Income Katrina Survivors.
Kaiser Family Foundation.
This is a report that details the experience of people displaced by Hurricane Katrina, including people with disabilities. It also includes a section on lessons learned during the hurricane.
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(No author).
(2006).
Recertification Time is Extended.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA's rental assistance program for individuals normally requires applicants to provide proof every three months that they are taking steps toward recovery. Recertification requires documentation, such as rental receipts, a realistic housing plan and documentation of income or efforts to get a job.
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Lyman, Rick.
(2006).
Among Elderly Evacuees, a Strong Desire to Return Home, but No Place to Go.
Social service workers say that there is little housing available in New Orleans for families displaced by last year’s hurricanes.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Disaster Preparedness: Limitations in federal Evacuations Assistance for Health Facilities Should be Addressed.
Government Accountability Office.
This report outlines findings about evacuating "patients" in nursing homes. GAO found that facilities took steps to ensure that the facilities had needed resources, but had problems with transportation with respect to evacuation. There was some competition w/ transportation companies, though one had been secured beforehand. Some nursing homes were unable to communicate with local emergency managers. Thus, GAO recommends that DHS clearly delineate (1) how the federal government will assist state and local governments with the transportation of patients and residents of hospitals and nursing homes, and (2) how to address the needs of nursing home residents during evacuations.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Ready American (Ready.gov) Disabled and Special Needs.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Checklist for people with disabilities when preparing for an emergency.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Ready American (Ready.gov) Senior.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Checklist for seniors: create a support network, evaluate what is extremely necessary, collect and combine in an accessible area medications and medical supplies, and emergency documents.
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(No author).
(2006).
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Coordination Between FEMA and the Red Cross Should be Improved for the 2006 Hurricane Season.
Government Accountability Office.
The report discusses how FEMA and the Red Cross can coordinate more effectively during a hurricane season. There were breakdowns in communication and disagreements about crucial elements. The GAO recommends that (1) FEMA work with the Red Cross to reach agreement on 2006 hurricane season operating procedures, (2) the Red Cross implement staffing strategies that would improve working relationships and retention of institutional knowledge, and (3) that FEMA obtain the Red Cross' input when developing its resource tracking system.
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Mattingly, Diane.
(2006).
As Hurricane Season Begins, Katrina's Lessons Put to Work .
Washington Post.
The first hurricane of the 2006 season will be named Alberto, followed by Beryl and Chris. But any of the assigned hurricane names for this season could become known for devastation and despair, as Katrina did last year. That hurricane, which ravaged the Gulf Coast, has helped shape the way Fairfax County "does" emergency management and preparedness. "Following Katrina, we gave a 21/2-hour state of readiness presentation and report to the Board of Supervisors," said Doug Bass, emergency management coordinator for Fairfax County. Bass said, however, that lessons can be learned from all storms. "We saw a wakeup call with Hurricane Isabel. We lost power and water to a significant portion of Fairfax County for almost 24 hours," he said. That's when officials realized the importance of partnering with organizations such as utilities that provide services to the public. "We have to make sure our emergency plans and procedures support their emergency plans and procedures," Bass said. He said Fairfax County also has realized the importance of emergency planning for those with special needs. "We've started a volunteer registry where people with special needs or caregivers can go and register so that they're on our radar screen," he said. Another important lesson, he said, is the need to make arrangements for pets. "Before Katrina there was this mentality that people would be able to disassociate themselves from their pets," Bass said. "Eighty percent of people surveyed said they wouldn't leave unless their animals were taken care of." Hygiene issues might necessitate sheltering pets in one part of a building and owners in another. "But at least they would know their pets are being cared for," he said. In Bass's 30-year tenure as a public safety administrator and in the 11 hurricanes he's dealt with, he said he has seen people sit in cars with their animals rather than go into shelters because they couldn't take their pets. Another lesson, he said, is communication. Starting July 1, a new county watch center will make sure information is shared with residents and with federal and state agencies. The new WebEOC data-sharing program is funded by grants from the Office of Homeland Security. During the recent Rolling Thunder motorcycle event on the Mall, the data-sharing program allowed jurisdictions to post and share information and see images in real time. In the past, a scramble of phone calls was needed to share information. According to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management, the 2006 hurricane season is expected to produce 17 named storms, including 14 hurricanes, five of them intense. In addition, the agency predicts a 64 percent probability of at least one major hurricane hitting the East Coast.
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(No author).
(2006).
Rebuilding Accessible Communities.
U.S. Access Board.
This is the main web page for information on the Access Board's Rebuilding Communities project. It is specifically for people with disabilities. The page gives a brief description of the project and has links to other pages and/or documents with more information.
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Kaufman, Bert.
(2006).
EEOC Roundtable on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
EEOC assembled the group to discuss preparedness plans from the private sector and how companies are integrating accommodations for people with disabilities to their preparedness plans.
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Richard-Montgomery, Brenda; Kegel, Martha J.
(2006).
Supportive housing could save lives.
New Orleans Times-Picayune.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Information for People with Disabilities.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The web page lists resources and links regarding housing for people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Information for People with Disabilities.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The web page lists resources and links regarding housing for people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2006).
The Arc of the Gulf Coast gets $25,000 grant.
Sun Herald.
The Arc of the Gulf Coast recently received a $25,000 grant from The Gulf Coast Community Foundation through its Build Back the Coast Fund. The Arc is a nonprofit agency serving citizens of Harrison County with mental retardation and developmental disabilities. The grant will be used to provide job skills training and education for adults with disabilities in its Benchwork Industries program.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Crossmaker, Maureen.
(2006).
Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery.
DD Quarterly.
Discusses emergency preparedness, response, and recovery for persons with disabilities.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(2006).
2005 Annual Report to the President and Congress.
National Council on Disability.
The NCD submitted its Annual Performance Report to the President and Congress-Fiscal Year 2005 made various recommendations concerning emergency planning for people with disabilities. These suggestions included housing, health care, education, and transportation.
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Kailes, June Isaacson.
(2006).
Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility for Your Safety: A Guide for People with Disabilities and Other Activity Limitations.
Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions.
A thorough guide for people with disabilities; discusses emergency preparedness, self-assessment, evacuation plans, and resources and references.
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Reemer, Andrew.
(2006).
Brookings Briefing on the Census.
The Brookings Institute.
Panel notes, discussing the situation after Katrina and how the elderly and disabled people affected.
-
(No author).
(2006).
U.S. Report Faults Nation's Preparedness for Disaster.
New York Times.
This article discusses the nation's lack of preparedness for Hurricane Katrina, including care for the disabled and others with special need.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Health Department to Host Disaster Training Sessions for People with Disabilities.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
The web page says that the Department of Health and Hospitatls is providing emergency planning and preparedness training sessions for families and others working with people with disabilities. The web page includes the dates and locations of the training.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Nationwide Plan Review Phase 2 Report.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The report by the Department of Homeland Security reviews and assess the status of the catastrophic and evacuation planning in all states and 75 of the nation's largest urban areas. The Plan Review has two phases, the first ivolved self-assessment in each state and urban area, and the second phase involved peer reviews. This paper relects the findings of both phases.
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(No author).
(2006).
Expedited Assistance for Victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: FEMA's Control Weakness Exposed the Government to Significant Fraud and Abuse.
Government Accountability Office.
This report condemns FEMA for its weaknesses related to benefit fraud and abuse. GAO identified significant flaws in the process for registering disaster victims that leave the federal government vulnerable to fraud and abuse of expedited assistance payments. For internet applications, limited automatic controls were in place to verify a registrant's identity. However, there was no independent verification of the identity of those who applied for disaster assistance via the telephone. GAO demonstrated the vulnerability inherent in the call-in applications by using falsified identities, bogus addresses, and fabricated disaster stories to register for IHP. GAO recommends that the Department of Homeland Security direct FEMA to take 6 actions, including establishing both an identity and address verification process, entering into agreements with other agencies to authenticate information on IHP registrations, establishing procedures to collect duplicate payments, and providing assurance that future distribution of debit cards includes instructions on the proper use of IHP funds. DHS and FEMA concurred fully with 4 of the 6 recommendations and partially concurred with the remaining 2.
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(No author).
(2006).
From Challenge to Action: American Red Cross Actions to Improve and Enhance Its Disaster Response and Related Capabilities.
American Red Cross.
This paper describes the actions undertaken by the American Red Cross to address the system weaknesses exposed by the historic hurricanes of 2005. Even as it takes these steps, the organization is embarking on strategic changes that will more broadly build upon these tactical improvements. It is seeking to make better use of its technology investment. This paper does not specifically address disabled individuals but focuses on relief efforts.
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(No author).
(2006).
Catastrophic Hurricane Evacuation Plan Evaluation: A Report to Congress.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This is a report published in response to Congress's report for the DOT to review and asses its Federal and State evacuation plans, including costs, for catastrophic hurricanes and other events impacting the Gulf Coast region. The report gives the findings of the research and the metholody. The report is very detailed and does discuss persons with special needs.
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(No author).
(2006).
Fact Sheet: Strengthening Preparedness for Hurricane Season.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The cite provides basic information about changes to preparedness, response, recovery plans created by the department of homeland security
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(No author).
(2006).
Summer of Survival.
National Organization on Disability.
This website discusses natural hazards and provides useful website links to users to continue self-education on particular hazard topics. The content for each hazard focuses on basic technical background information, scientific information, weather service standards, as well as instructions on what action a person may take in any given hazard situation. A person with a disability must take this resource information and determine how to plan for themselves given hazard-specific information. The resources listed in the “Summer of Survival” are not disability-specific because the hazard will act according to hazard properties.
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Egeland, Jane; Kälin Walter.
(2006).
Protecting People Affected by Natural Disasters - Operational Guidelines.
UN Secretary -General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons.
The guidelines are adopted in Geneva UN meeting on June 2006. Although they are not particularly addressed to the disabled people or Katrina, the provide agenda for emergency preparedness for disabled people.
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(No author).
(2006).
Factors for Future Success and Issues to Consider for Organizational Placement.
Government Accountability Office.
The report focuses on being more successful during disasters based on FEMA's organizational structure. Inquiries surround the organization and include whether FEMA should be disbanded and functions moved to other agencies, remain within the Department of Homeland Security, or become an independent agency again. There are factors to consider: clarity of FEMA's mission and its related responsibilities and authorities; the experience of and training provided to FEMA leadership; the adequacy of its human, financial, and technological resources; and the effectiveness of planning, exercises, and related partnerships. Other factors for Congress to consider which affect the organizational structure: the relevance of FEMA's mission to the broader organization in which it resides; the extent to which goals and objectives are shared; the ability to leverage effectively the resources of other agencies and programs; and gains in efficiency and effectiveness through eliminating duplications and overlaps.
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Harkins, Judy ; Peltz Strauss, Karen & Vanderheiden, Gregg.
(2006).
Research and Policy Recommendations from the State of the Science Conference on Accessible Emergency Notification and Communication.
U.S. Access Board.
This is a follow-up report after the conference on Accessible Emergency Notification and Communication. The conference, and therefore the report, discussed topics on accessibility tools and gaps, government activities on accessible emergency communications, broadcast media notification, alerting and communication in facilities and campuses, person-to-person communications, relay services, and coping with severe communications infrastructure loss in times of disaster. There is some discussion of disability and working to ensure that people with disabilities are able to receive notification of an emergency.
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(No author).
(2006).
Matrix Suggests Steps for People with Special Needs.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Provides a matrix for steps in emergency preparedness and response for people with disabilities. Makes suggestions about specific kinds of disabilities and what the specific needs might be.
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Moreno, Sylvia.
(2006).
For Some Katrina Evacuees, Another Displacement Looms; Tousands Face Expiration of FEMA Rental Assistance.
Washington Post.
In the nine months since their New Orleans home was flooded with nine feet of water, Dianne Jeanpierre has worked hard to put her life and her daughters' lives back in order. Their orderly apartment here is filled with gently worn donated furniture. The new routine for this Catholic family includes weekly inspirational services at a Baptist church. Ashley, 17, attended her junior prom through the generosity of a department-store dress giveaway to children affected by Hurricane Katrina. Brittany, 14, had been enrolled in a high school for academically gifted students in New Orleans when the hurricane hit Aug. 29; she stayed focused and last week finished the school year with two citations for scholarship. But the family's fragile stability is threatened. Jeanpierre has run out of unemployment insurance benefits from her former job as a security guard in New Orleans and cannot work because of debilitating asthma. Earlier this month, she got a notice that she would lose her housing benefits from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Soon thereafter, her car was repossessed. "I tried to make a home," said Jeanpierre, 46. "Now they're trying to eat you up, I tell you. Everything is just going downhill." Jeanpierre's family is among about 55,000 nationwide facing the end of a FEMA-funded rental assistance program, in which local governments issued 12-month housing and utility vouchers. Last month, FEMA began issuing letters to thousands of evacuees telling them their aid would be terminated. The vouchers are to end Wednesday in most of the country and on June 30 in 11 Texas jurisdictions, including Austin, Dallas and Houston. That decision, says a class-action lawsuit filed by the Houston law firm of Caddell & Chapman and a consortium of public interest law groups, will create "widespread homelessness" and violates FEMA's statutory obligations to provide temporary housing assistance to hurricane victims. FEMA's decisions on which evacuees to move into a housing assistance program with more rigorous requirements are "arbitrary, inconsistent and inequitable," the lawsuit contends. "As a result, FEMA is creating an opportunity to discontinue its housing assistance for tens of thousands of people." Sixty-two members of the House filed a brief last week supporting the suit. It says that FEMA "continues to engage in a process that is marked by inefficiency, a lack of discernable standards and seeming disregard for the plight of the vulnerable survivors who are depending on the aid that FEMA is statutorily obligated to provide." U.S. District Judge David Hittner is expected to rule Tuesday on a request to stop FEMA temporarily from shutting down the housing assistance program and to hold a trial on the lawsuit's merits. "This process is broken, and FEMA is not following its mandates," said John B. Scofield Jr. of Caddell & Chapman. "Some people have extensions [to June 30], but still there are multiple thousands that are being left in the dust." Aaron Walker, a FEMA spokesman in Washington, declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing agency policy regarding pending litigation. But, Walker said, reviews of evacuees' cases -- appeals and application updates -- are being conducted continually. "There's a number of reasons, reasonable and logical reasons, people are found ineligible" for continued housing assistance, Walker said. "We genuinely aren't in an effort to have people without housing." FEMA officials say that about 50,000 households are in the housing assistance program and that 12,000 have been informed they are ineligible for continued aid. The lawsuit contends that about 55,000 households are in the program nationwide and that "at least 17,000 households or at least 50,000 people of all ages have been deemed ineligible for further housing assistance and/or have not received a final determination of eligibility." Of the households deemed ineligible, 7,600 are in Houston, where the majority of displaced Katrina evacuees live, and 2,100 are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the suit says. Many rulings of ineligibility were wrong, according to the lawsuit and officials working with evacuees. Some evacuees were told that their homes in New Orleans were not damaged enough to qualify them for continued assistance or that their old houses or apartments are habitable. Some were told that their paperwork was incomplete or that they did not meet certain requirements. Others were given no reason. Those determinations, said LaTosha Brown, executive director of the Saving Our Selves Coalition in Atlanta, has displaced LAns panicked and landlords -- who were told by FEMA that it will no longer honor the housing vouchers -- sending eviction notices for next month. "Instead of the government helping, it exacerbates the problem," said Brown, co-founder of the coalition, which is working with Katrina evacuees throughout the Gulf Coast and in Georgia. "There's an insensitivity to where people are emotionally. This is not business as usual. People are still damaged from the debacle." Jeanpierre found out she was ineligible for continued rental assistance after her landlord received a notice from FEMA that it would stop paying her rent and utilities on Wednesday (an extension to June 30 was granted last week). The insurance settlement she received for her destroyed home in the Gentilly neighborhood went to the bank to pay off the mortgage. She has applied for federal disability benefits through the Social Security Administration because of her health, but the case is pending. An urgent request to FEMA by a lawyer representing her asked the agency not to terminate her housing assistance until her case is settled. The request has not been answered. "I'm just going to stay here until they send the police to put us out," Jeanpierre said. "There's nowhere for me to go."
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(No author).
(2006).
Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities and Their Families: "The Take and Go Emergency Book".
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
This is a booklet published by the LA dept of health and hopsitals for individuals with disabilities. The booklet contains all pertinent information for the welfare and safety of the individual in the case of an emergency. The individual fills out the booklet with information such as his or her disability, personal information, medical information, educational information, as well as how he or she communications and the person's needs.
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(No author).
(2006).
Support Coordinators Emergency Preparedness: Best Practices Guidelines.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
This is a paper that provides a framework whereby support coordinators can create emergency preparedness procedures for ensure the safety and health of the people they are serving. The paper addresses readiness, response, and recovery. The paper is specific to people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Providers Emergency Preparedness: Best Practice Guidelines.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
This is a paper that provides a framework whereby individual providers can create emergency preparedness procedures for ensure the safety and health of the people they are serving. The paper addresses readiness, response, and recovery. The paper is specific to people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Hurricane Katrina: Better Plans and Exercises Need to guide the Military's Response to Catastrophic Natural Disasters.
Government Accountability Office.
The report outlines how changes can be made to the military's response in light of what happened with Hurricane Katrina. GAO recommends the need for better plans and better understanding of the military's capabilities to respond to a catastrophe. The National Response Plan did not distinguish between regional disasters and catastrophic national disasters--also lacked detail. Without an understanding of what happened, and addressing planning, a disaster like Katrina will happen again.
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(No author).
(2006).
Notice of Change to the National Response Plan.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
A notice of change to the Federal response plan, this document outlines all of the line-by-line changes to the "Topic Areas" of such plan.
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(No author).
(2006).
Hurricane Season Preparations.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
DHS outlines the steps being taken to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season. This cite names responsibilities for Federal, state, and local governments, as well as information about how to plan for an emergency.
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Lynch, Tara.
(2006).
Survey Reveals Americans Not as Prepared as They Think.
American Red Cross.
In a press release, the Red Cross discussed that Americans are not as prepared for a disaster or an emergency situation. The report detailed various statistics of how unprepared individuals are for disasters. This document does not discuss individuals with disability.
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(No author).
(2006).
National Association for the Deaf: Emergency Preparedness.
Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions.
The web page explains how people who are deaf can receive information about a disaster. The NAD says that new techniques and technology are available that can help people with hearing impairments be better prepared for an emergency.
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(No author).
(2006).
Emergency Preparedness: Taking Responsibility for Your Safety (Tips for People with Disabilities and Activity Limitations_.
Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions.
An emergency planning guide for people with disability. Discusses emergency preparedness, how to create emergency plans, emergency kits, and create support connections or contacts.
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Bascetta, Cynthia.
(2006).
Disaster Preparedness Preliminary Observations on the Evacuation of Vulnerable Populations Due to Hurricanes and Other Disasters.
Government Accountability Office.
GAO was asked to discuss efforts to plan and prepare for the needs of seniors in the event of a national emergency. GAO describes its ongoing work on evacuation in the event of emergencies, such as hurricanes, and provides preliminary observations on (1) challenges faced by hospital and nursing home administrators that are related to hurricane evacuations; (2) the federal program that supports the evacuation of patients needing hospital care and nursing home residents; and (3) challenges states and localities face in preparing for and carrying out the evacuation of transportation-disadvantaged populations and efforts to address evacuation needs.
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Young, Bob.
(2006).
Executive Resource Guide State of Florida.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is HUD's resource guide for the State of Florida. It includes HUD's mission statement for florida as well as the current programs under HUD's jurisdiction in Florida. The programs are centered around housing; there is only brief mention of people with disabilities in reference to fair housing and antidiscrimination.
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Smith, Quincy Collins.
(2006).
Register now for shelters: Red Cross wants to know needs.
Sun Herald.
American Red Cross officials in Jackson and George counties are asking Jackson County residents with special health needs and transportation problems to register in time for the next hurricane season. "Pre-registration is critical for us so we don't get blindsided come storms' landfall," said Paige Roberts, director of the Southeast Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross. Jackson County residents needing transportation to shelters should contact the local Red Cross office at 762-2455. Bus drivers will transport those people to shelters north of George County. Residents with special medical needs that are not serious enough for hospitalization should also contact the Red Cross at 762-2455. Butch Loper, Jackson County Civil Defense director, said at least 123 families now living at FEMA trailer sites and needing transportation have been identified and more are expected to register. Sixteen shelters with capacity for about 6,300 people have been identified for the two counties. Vancleave's lower elementary and high schools, two locations at St. Martin High School, St. Martin East Elementary, Moss Point High School, Latimer Community Center, East Central Lower Elementary, East Central High School and East Central Community Center are shelters for special needs residents. For hurricanes Category 3 or above, shelters in East Central, Latimer, Vancleave and St. Martin East Elementary will be opened. Pet-friendly shelters are being planned. In George County, Benndale Elementary, First United Methodist Church of Lucedale, Rocky Creek School, George County Senior Citizens Center and the high school and middle school will open as shelters. In Jackson County, most of the shelters for major storms are located in the north central and northeastern parts of the county because they have higher elevations outside of the surge zones, Loper said. "I have to take what I've got and utilize it to the maximum," Loper said. "Jackson County just doesn't have a lot of high property." Paige and Loper are concerned that last-minute sheltering decisions, especially by those living in trailers, might lead to a capacity shortage during tropical storms and lower-category hurricanes. With high gas prices and smaller storms, more residents might be inclined to shelter closer to home, Roberts said. Red Cross and county civil defense officials are urging people to set aside an emergency fund and make their evacuation and sheltering plans now.
(Available via licensed database.)
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(No author).
(2006).
Lessons Learned for Protecting and Educating Children After the Gulf Coast Hurricanes.
Government Accountability Office.
Focused on protecting and educating children after the Gulf Coast hurricanes. The report outlines lessons learned: (1) state and local disaster plans could better protect children if they integrated the needs of child welfare and education agencies. For example, schools can reopen more quickly when local relief officials work with school personnel to coordinate how resources will be allocated. With schools in operation, communities can focus on recovery. Moreover, child welfare and education agencies can better prepare for and respond to large-scale disasters by maintaining emergency contact information for staff and foster parents and developing evacuation instructions; (2) children could benefit from data-sharing agreements among organizations. Agreements to share data on displaced children and families could help speed efforts to locate them; (3) flexibility in certain federal reporting requirements can allow states and localities to focus more attention on recovery efforts.
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(No author).
(2006).
LA Recovery Authority The Road Home Housing Programs Action Plan Amendment for Disaster Recovery Funds.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This document describes the "The Road Home" Housing Programs that are made up of four sets of programs created to restore LA's housing stock and communities. It explaines and gives an overview of the Homeowner Assistance Program, the Workforce and Affordable Rental Housing Programs, the Restoration of Homeless Supports and Housing, Developer Incentives, Planning and Technical Assistance. The paper does mention people with disabilities in regards to housing and relocated people who are temporarily in nursing homes or institutions.
-
(No author).
(2006).
LA Recovery Authority The Road Home Housing Programs Action Plan Amendment for Disaster Recovery Funds.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This document describes the "The Road Home" Housing Programs that are made up of four sets of programs created to restore LA's housing stock and communities. It explains and gives an overview of the Homeowner Assistance Program, the Workforce and Affordable Rental Housing Programs, the Restoration of Homeless Supports and Housing, Developer Incentives, Planning and Technical Assistance. The paper does mention people with disabilities in regards to housing and relocated people who are temporarily in nursing homes or institutions.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Media Advisory: Audio Replay of American Red Cross Press Briefing on Preparations for 2006 Hurricane Season.
American Red Cross.
This is a press release about preparation for the 2006 hurricane season. It does not specifically address individuals with disability.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Hurricanes Survivors with Disabilities--Lives in Isolation.
Independent Living Research Utilization.
The web page focuses on the quick response of ILRU to Hurricane Katrina and highlights four interviews of people with disabilities and their experiences during and after the hurricane.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Prepare for the Worst: How CILs Can Assist INDIVIDUALS in Disaster Preparation.
Independent Living Research Utilization.
ILRU's May 2006 newsletter. It includes topics on how to prepare for a disaster, how to evacuate, an emergency preparednes kit and supplies checklist.
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(No author).
(2006).
Resources.
Nobody Left Behind2.
This web page provides information and links to other resources and helpful documents for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina or others involved in the response and recovery process.
-
Frieden, Lex.
(2006).
NCD Bulletin May 2006.
National Council on Disability.
NCD news bulletin includes information about the activities NCD is involved in for the month. Does not specifically address Hurricane Katrina or emergency preparedness.
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Kailes, June Isaacson & Enders, Alexandra.
(2006).
Moving Beyond “Special Needs”: A Function Based Framework for Emergency Management and Planning.
JIK.com.
The paper discusses the difference between the needs of people with disabilities and how this group is often lumped together even though they may have different needs. The paper also discusses emergency management and planning in terms of medical needs, communication needs, supervision needs, maintaining functional independence needs, and transportation. Finally, the paper mentions the importance of leadership, service delivery, expertise and training in emergency preparedness and execution of emergency plans.
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(No author).
(2006).
Hurricane Katrina: Policies and Procedures are Needed to Ensure Appropriate Use of and Accountability for International Assistance.
Government Accountability Office.
The report indicated that polices and procedures are needed to ensure appropriate use and accountability of international assistance received during a domestic disaster. The GAO recommends improving policies, procedures, planning, and oversight of international cash and in-kind donations to the US government.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Hurricane Katrina: International Assistance.
Government Accountability Office.
This site has information pertaining to international donations. The GAO cites several examples of improvements that could be made in order to better accept and deal with assistance and donations in the future. There is not any info specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Panel Discussions.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This article discussed the effects of Hurricane Katrina on transportation, and the importance of communicating between local, state, and federal government the need to prepare emergency management and transportation plans for individuals with disability.
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(No author).
(2006).
Housing on the Move.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is HUD's newsletter for April 2006. It includes articles on antidiscrimination in the Gulf Coast area to ensure that people have equal access to housing. There is brief mention of people with disabilities in reference to fair housing and new housing developments for the elderly and for people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Housing on the Move.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is HUD's newsletter for April 2006. It includes articles on antidiscrimination in the Gulf Coast area to ensure that people have equal access to housing. There is brief mention of people with disabilities in reference to fair housing and new housing developments for the elderly and for people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Assessing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Persons with Disabilities, Interim Report.
Nobody Left Behind, University of Kansas.
The report assess the impact of the hurricane on people with disabilities. It shows results of interviews but gives only a brief synopsis. Also includes three appendices including serveys and a powerpoint presentation.
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Dewan, Shaila.
(2006).
Storm Evacuees Found to Suffer Health Setbacks.
A NY Times article reporting a recent study that interviewed families living in trailers or hotels. It provides a grim portrait of the hurricane's effects on some of the poorest victims, showing gaps in the tattered safety net pieced together from government and private efforts.
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(No author).
(2006).
Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning.
National Organization on Disability.
This report is a report that provides the President with recommnedations about how to best include persons with disabilities in emergency prepardness efforts.
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Sutherland, Daniel W.
(2006).
Remarks at the National Hurricane Conference, April 14, 2006 by Daniel W. Sutherland Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Office of the Secretary.
The web page displays the ICC's Chairman's address at the National Hurricane Conference. His speech had three main points: that people with disabilities must be effectively integrated into the emergency management process, second, that the ICC needs to identify ways they can help the local and state responders with the complex issues of a national disaster, and third, that people with disabilities want to help in emergency planning and in emergencies in general. Mr. Sutherland also discussed major issues in the Gulf Coast area such as medical equipment (wheelchairs, oxygen), transportation, poorly equipped shelters for people with disabilities, and the lack of adequate temporary housing for people in nursing homes.
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(No author).
(2006).
State of Texas Action Plan for CDBG Disaster Recovery Grantees under the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is a action plan for Texas in response to Hurricane Katrina and future disasters. It's main focus is housing for victims who were displaced; there is only limited reference to people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2006).
State of Texas Action Plan for CDBG Disaster Recovery Grantees under the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is a action plan for Texas in response to Hurricane Katrina and future disasters. It's main focus is housing for victims who were displaced; there is only limited reference to people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2006).
FEMA: Ready for 2006 Hurricane Season.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The FEMA approaches the 2006 hurricane season with a renewed sense of commitment, improvement and urgency, building on a solid foundation of experienced professionals and the lessons learned from last year's unprecedented disaster response activities. The 2005 hurricane season tested our nation as never before, and we are committed to increasing our preparedness for catastrophic events and smaller-scale disasters. While states and localities have the lead in emergency response, FEMA will be prepared to coordinate the federal government's supporting role. FEMA also understands the special needs of Gulf Coast states, which will include a need for assistance with evacuation planning, difficulties with manufactured housing, and diminished law enforcement capabilities. FEMA is implementing multiple new measures designed to strengthen essential functions so the agency can more effectively respond to all disasters. These improvements include building a 21st century supply tracking system, enhancing our ability to receive requests for individual assistance, expediting the pace of debris removal, and developing an smarter plan for long-term housing.
-
(No author).
(2006).
American Red Cross Expands Capacity to Handle Disasters.
American Red Cross.
This press release details the Red Cross's plan to expand its capacity in disasters to assist communities across the country through the earliest days of a disaster. The Red Cross intends to form partnerships with community-based organizations to speed assistance to disaster victims and bring help closer to where they live. Does not address individuals with disability.
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Fox, Michael H.; White, Glen W. Ph.D., Catherine L. Rooney, M.A., and Jennifer L.Rowland, Ph.D., P.T.
(2006).
Disaster Preparedness and Response for Persons with Mobility Impairments: Results of the Nobody Left Behind Project.
Nobody Left Behind2.
This is a powerpoint create by the authors of the report for the Nobody Left Behind Project. The powerpoint gives the main findings of the research.
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(No author).
(2006).
Connecting with Communities: A User’s Guide to HUD Programs and the 2006 SuperNOFA Process.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is a friendly user's guide to HUD's programs. The relevance of the guide is the section which discusses FEMA/HUD Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program, and Hurricane Recovery Resources.
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(No author).
(2006).
Connecting with Communities: A User's Guide to HUD Programs and the 2006 Super NOFA Process.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is a friendly user's guide to HUD's programs. The relevance of the guide is the section which discusses FEMA/HUD Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program, and Hurricane Recovery Resources.
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Styron, Hilary.
(2006).
EPI Director Addresses FCC Panel on Impact of Katrina.
National Organization on Disability.
On Tuesday, March 7, 2006, Hilary Styron gave a presentation to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks. This meeting was held at the Mississippi e-Center at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. The Panel's meeting included oral presentations regarding: (1) the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the telecommunications and media infrastructure including public safety communications; (2) the sufficiency and effectiveness of the recovery effort with respect to this infrastructure; and (3) ways to improve disaster preparedness, network reliability and communications among first responders such as police, fire fighters and emergency medical personnel. In addition, the Panel's informal working groups provided reports on their progress.
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(No author).
(2006).
Red Cross Supports Shipboard Katrina Evacuees.
American Red Cross.
This document highlights the Red Cross effort to house hurricane victims aboard cruise ships. At the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, the contract with Carnival Cruise Lines expired, and the Red Cross is making efforts to relocate these indiv
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(No author).
(2006).
FEMA Contracts Awarded.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
This document is an excel spreadsheet that provides a financial breakdown of the FEMA contracts awarded in support of Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.
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Mollyann Brodie, PhD, Erin Weltzien, Drew Altman, PhD, Robert J. Blendon, PhD, and John M. Benson, MA.
(2006).
Experiences of Hurricane Katrina Evacuees in Houston Shelters: Implications for Future Planning.
Kaiser Family Foundation.
The report outlines the objectives, methods, results and conclusions of a study on how the public health community can promote the recovery of Hurricane Katrain victims and protect people in the future from such similar disasters. To conduct this research, evacuess houses in Houston area shelers two weeks after the hurricane hit were interviewed. The obvious conclusion was that there was a high need for better emergency preparedness plans in terms of communication and evacuation for low-income persons and people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Hurricane Katrina: Status of the Health Care System in New Orleans and Difficult Decisions Related to Efforts to Rebuild it Approximately 6 Months After Hurricane Katrina.
Government Accountability Office.
This letter to Congressional Committees about the status of the health care system in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina indicates that the health care infrastructure was damaged by the hurricane and the availability of services declined. It indicates that as residents slowly return to the area, health care needs must be assessed, and includes estimates for costs and fund allocations to area hospitals.
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Kendrick, Kim.
(2006).
HUD Testimony.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The web page contains the written statement of Kim Kendrick, the assisstant secretary of the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity office.The focus of the statement is how HUD has helping secure the fair housing rights of the displaced Gulf Coast Residents. Primarily HUD has been working to make sure people know their rights, actively enforcing the law when there are violations, and working with the housing industry to prevent discrimination against people of low socioeconomic statues, African Americans, or people with disabilities. Kendrick goes on in detail to explain how HUD has been helpful.
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(No author).
(2006).
Hurricane Preparedness for People with Disabilities.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This article specifically addresses hurricane preparedness for people with disabilities. It provides several lists which discusses recommendations for individuals with disability.
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Robinson, Melissa B.
(2006).
Community Practices for Preparedness; Citizen, Religious Groups Join in Disaster Planning.
Washington Post.
Eight-year-old Megan Loveless scrambled up the colorful plastic climbing equipment and huddled there against the biting wind while an energetic golden retriever named Sven raced around the Damascus churchyard, sniffing wood chips and scrubby grass as he tried to find her. In less than a minute, Sven was barking to alert his trainer that he'd located the girl, who was taking part in a rescue drill with Mid-Atlantic DOGS (Dogs Organized for Ground Search) Saturday morning at a disaster preparedness fair at Damascus United Methodist Church. The fair was organized by Good Heart, a year-old network of churches, temples and synagogues started by the Damascus Emergency Preparedness Team (DEPT), a group of local residents concerned about disaster planning. To encourage their neighbors to be prepared for a terrorist attack, flood, major power outage, bird flu epidemic or other crisis, DEPT turned to religious organizations, with their deep community ties, as ideal avenues for spreading the word about emergency planning. One of Good Heart's first efforts has been getting its members to send out questionnaires to their congregants. They are canvassing for such information as who has physical disabilities requiring special assistance in a crisis, and who has skills such as medical training or proficiency in a foreign language that could be useful. The goal of the Good Heart program is not to supplant firefighters, emergency medical technicians or others specially trained to respond to accidents and disasters. Rather, the group hopes that by lining up community resources now -- such as even churches that might be converted to pet shelters -- neighbors will be better equipped to help each other during the first 72 hours of a crisis, when emergency responders are focused on the most critical needs. "We fill up a big gap," said Bill Johnson, who was manning Good Heart's booth at the fair. People stranded or otherwise at risk in a disaster "can't just sit there, waiting for weeks for help -- it's an emergency. The local folks have to be organized and ready ahead of time." Good Heart has started exploring the possibility of using houses of worship to shelter people and their pets in an emergency evacuation. The need for pet shelters came into sharp focus last summer, organizers said, when Hurricane Katrina caused thousands of animals to be stranded in the Gulf Coast region. In other cases, people's lives were endangered when they refused to leave their homes without their pets. Animals usually are not allowed in evacuation shelters. A workshop with a Florida woman who is an expert in sheltering pets is being organized for the coming months. While it may seem practical to line up volunteers and shelters before a crisis hits, Julie Sain, DEPT president and chairwoman of Saturday's fair, and other organizers said there are also emotional benefits to planning for the worst. People tend to react better, they said, if they have done something to protect themselves and their families. That may mean stockpiling food and water in case of a quarantine, keeping extra medication on hand in case pharmacies are closed or unreachable, or making sure battery-operated flashlights and candles are working and accessible. "If you're prepared, it's like doing a drill," said Sain. "You know what to do. Your emotions don't make you immobile. They don't paralyze you with the horror of the thing." DEPT began two years ago when residents in the Damascus area of northern Montgomery County -- unsure what emergency planning was underway among local and regional officials -- decided to take on the issue themselves, Sain said. Since then, DEPT has forged alliances with the county's Department of Homeland Security, launched in January 2005, and the regional Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, which trains civilians in first aid, fire safety and light search-and-rescue. The CERT concept was developed in California in the 1980s in the aftermath of an earthquake. DEPT also helped bring the local fire department together with a group of ham radio operators, who have set up a desk at the department for operating their radios in case regular communications systems are inoperable in a disaster. County officials hope the Damascus model of neighbors helping neighbors will spread. Brian S. Geraci, a fire battalion chief who works for the county Homeland Security Department, has met with a group of Olney churches to talk about creating a Good Heart-type program there. A disaster preparedness fair is being organized for Silver Spring in May. Some people have already picked up on the Damascus message. Sherrie Wade of Mount Airy, who attended Saturday's fair with one of her grandchildren, hired an electrician several months ago to wire her house so a generator is automatically activated when the electricity has been out for some time. That was a particular concern because Wade lives with a grandchild who takes asthma medication through a nebulizer. Wade and her husband, who heard about emergency planning through their Damascus church, had a wood-burning stove installed in their basement. Wood is stockpiled, water and flashlights are ready, and the family knows where to meet in case they can't get home. "We've all got a plan," she said. "Which is good."
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(No author).
(2006).
Protecting Your Health and Life.
American Red Cross, The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Endowment for Financial Education.
The website provides information on how to obtain health, life, and disability insurance.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Protecting Your Loved Ones.
American Red Cross, The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, National Endowment for Financial Education.
The website provides information estate planning tools, and there is a specific section for providing for children with disabilities through estate planning.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Are You Ready.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
FEMA's checklist includes information about emergency preparedness: escape routes, family communications, utility shut-off and safety, insurance and vital records, special needs, caring for animals, safety skills.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Housing on the Move.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is HUD's newsletter for March 2006. It includes an article on finding housing for displaced and evacuated people by hurricane Katrina. There is brief mention of people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Housing on the Move.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is HUD's newsletter for March 2006. It includes an article on finding housing for displaced and evacuated people by hurricane Katrina. There is brief mention of people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2006).
A Performance Review of FEMA's Disaster Management Activities in Response to Hurricane Katrina.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
This report assess the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) performance as it conducted its disaster management responsibilities in response to Hurricane Katrina. We examined whether the laws, regulations, policies, procedures, plans, guidelines, and resources were adequate and operational, and whether FEMA's organizational structure enhanced or hindered its emergency management capabilities. The recommendations herein have been developed to the best knowledge available to our office, and have been discussed in draft with those responsible for implementation. It is our hope that this report will result in more effective, efficient, and economical operations.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Hurriane Katrain Action Plan for Disaster Recovery.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The document explains how the counties in Alabama will use the funding and resources they have received to rebuild their communities. It discusses the funding categories as well as the budget. There is only a quick reference to people with disabilities along with other minority groups.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Hurricane Katrina Action Plan for Disaster Recovery.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The document explains how the counties in Alabama will use the funding and resources they have received to rebuild their communities. It discusses the funding categories as well as the budget. There is only a quick reference to people with disabilities along with other minority groups.
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Kailes, June Isaacson.
(2006).
Emergency Power Planning for People Who Use Electricity and Battery dependent Assistive Technology and Medical Devices.
Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions.
An emergency planning guide specifically written for people with electric battery-powered assistant devices.
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Salmon, Jacqueline L.
(2006).
Katrina's Vietnamese Victims; Falls Church Area Agency Aids Gulf Coast Immigrants.
Washington Post.
Fisherman Ky Le climbed out of his truck, hoisting his 3-year-old son, and pointed to a mass of splintered wreckage on a muddy lot. "That my house," said Le, 42, in his fragmentary English. Then he laughed. It was easier than crying. All that remained of the family's mobile home was this slab of linoleum, set on a wheeled hunk of rusting metal and covered with overturned appliances, dishes, clothing and other items. A backpack that belonged to the couple's oldest son lay near his math workbook. In the moist, salty wind, shards of a nearby metal shed swayed and creaked as Le's wife, Loan, 39, picked through the rubble, looking for documents that would prove the family had flood insurance to cover the ruin caused by Hurricane Katrina. This was Plaquemines Parish, a ghostly finger of marshy land poking into the Gulf of Mexico and bisected by the Mississippi River, where life and property were swept away when Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Buras on Aug. 29. The couple and their three children lost their home and car. Miraculously, Ky's shrimp boat sustained only relatively minor damage. After several months of taking shelter with other homeless Vietnamese fishermen and their families at a Buddhist temple 50 miles up the road, the family has settled in a rented mobile home near the temple while they untangle their affairs. The plight of the Le family, and thousands of other Vietnamese immigrants living along the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast, has become the focus of a Falls Church area nonprofit, Boat People SOS. In December, the 25-year-old organization, which works with Vietnamese immigrants through a network of offices nationwide, received a $4.5 million federal grant to seek out and work with the neediest Hurricane Katrina victims, helping them to rebuild their lives financially and emotionally over the next 22 months. Along with three other nonprofits based in the Washington area -- Catholic Charities USA of Alexandria, Volunteers of America of Alexandria and the National Disability Rights Network of Northeast Washington -- Boat People SOS is part of a consortium of 10 organizations nationwide awarded a total of $66 million to assist 300,000 struggling Katrina victims. Many are poor, elderly or disabled, said Warren Harrity, executive director of Katrina Aid Today, the consortium's parent organization based in Northwest Washington. Some are single parents, while others, like those in the Vietnamese communities that Boat People is working with, speak limited English. "There are a lot of folks who are just not able to access the world of resources out there," Harrity said. The contract was awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to the United Methodist Committee on Relief, the disaster-relief and development arm of the United Methodist Church, using funds donated by foreign governments. The Methodist relief committee, in turn, contracted with the 10 nonprofits to carry out the work, and it will manage the grant and monitor the groups' progress. The committee program within which these agencies work is Katrina Aid Today. Last week, Volunteers of America launched a $6 million case-management program that will use 60 professionals and 240 trained volunteers to work with about 20,000 people -- many of them already struggling with disability, age, raising children on a limited income or addiction. "A lot of people, at least the ones we talk to . . . were pretty fragile anyway," said Margaret Ratcliff, vice president of programs for Volunteers of America. The National Disability Rights Network will focus on 8,000 disabled Katrina victims, including those with physical handicaps, mental illnesses and addiction problems, primarily in Mississippi, Texas and LA, said spokeswoman Kaaryn Sanon. Catholic Charities USA will receive $12 million, which will help fund 125 paid and 250 volunteer case managers who are being brought in to work with Katrina victims in Catholic Charities offices in 13 states, said the Rev. Larry Snyder, the organization's chief executive. A combination of therapist, nagging mother, networker and advocate, a case manager works one-on-one with clients and with other case managers, drawing up "recovery plans" and then assisting clients with finding housing, jobs and services they need. "Our aim is to help the folks to achieve a level of self-sufficiency," Harrity said. Boat People SOS's task is one of the more challenging: to work with insular, often isolated, Vietnamese communities. An estimated 50,000 Vietnamese live along the Gulf Coast, including "boat people" who settled in the area after fleeing Southeast Asia in the 1970s and '80s. The federal grant, worth about $4.5 million to Boat People, is by far the largest ever received by the organization, which brought in $2.1 million in federal grants in 2004. The group is in the process of hiring 19 case managers to work with Katrina victims through new branch offices in LA, Mississippi and Alabama, said Executive Director Nguyen Dinh Thang. Many of Boat People's target clients are fishermen, small-business people or blue-collar workers who speak little or no English and, until now, have had relatively little contact with local or federal governments. Boat People SOS was founded in California in 1981. It has evolved from an organization that rescued thousands of people in small vessels on the ocean who were fleeing Vietnam in the wake of the communist takeover, to one that offers a variety of services to Vietnamese immigrants nationwide. Funded mostly by government contracts and grants, it now has 17 offices around the country, including three in the Washington area: in Prince George's County, in the District and, its headquarters, in a Leesburg Pike (Route 7) office building just north of Baileys Crossroads. It draws its work almost exclusively from government agencies, such as those of Fairfax County and the U.S. government, including the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement and the departments of Labor, Education and the Treasury. Boat People offers cancer screenings and translation services, educates nail-salon employees on hazardous materials, sponsors after-school tutoring and teen abstinence education, and helps Vietnamese immigrants become U.S. citizens, among other services. In LA, the epicenter of its current efforts, is a small Buddhist temple in Orleans Parish, just over the border from Plaquemines. The area is home to thousands of Vietnamese immigrants who earn their livings plying the waters of the Gulf. Katrina destroyed many of their homes and boats, and about 50 of them are now living at Bo De Temple while they await FEMA trailers or repairs to their homes. They live in the temple's fellowship hall and education center, sleeping on mattresses jammed into small classrooms and cooking in the center's kitchen. They have fashioned curtains out of aluminum foil and brown paper. Some, uncomfortable with the crowded conditions, have retreated to tents on the muddy grounds. One 81-year-old man lives in his car, which he has outfitted with a sleeping bag and a television balanced on the rear seat. The presence of the evacuees has put on hold the temple's plan to use the center, which was recently completed at a cost of $200,000, to offer English classes to adults and Vietnamese classes to children. The added expense has also strained the small temple's finances. "It's very difficult for us in this situation," said the Rev. Thich-Thong Duc, the Buddhist monk who runs Bo De. Duc moved to the United States from Vietnam seven years ago. "But we are happy to help people." Among Boat People's tasks is to help the Vietnamese negotiate their way through the formidable Katrina-assistance bureaucracy. Some evacuees were not aware they were eligible for assistance from FEMA and thus never applied, said case manager Alessandra Thomas. The organization believes that others' claims were inaccurately denied and plans to launch appeals on behalf of those clients. Duc said the community is grateful for the assistance. "You come here, you help our community," he told Thomas over tea one recent morning. "We appreciate that. We are happy about that." But Boat People has had to surmount some cultural differences. For many Vietnamese, the stubborn American tradition of refusing to take no for an answer is an alien concept, said Ha Hoa Dang, a spokesman for Boat People. "They'll accept that when the U.S. government has said no, that means no," Dang said. Other more complex issues also have surfaced. For many Vietnamese fishermen, ownership of their boats is complicated. Some have tangled agreements -- sometimes written, sometimes not -- with others that make for messy insurance claims. Many had no flood insurance on their homes, or lost their insurance documents in the storm. To reach the extensive Vietnamese communities in the New Orleans area, Boat People is distributing fliers and spreading the word through Buddhist temples and Vietnamese Catholic Churches. It also is relying on word of mouth. Working off a laptop on a folding table in the temple's cluttered fellowship hall, case managers Thomas and Phu Nguyen work with a steady stream of Katrina victims. They help some fill out paperwork to get free cell phones offered to Katrina evacuees through a Federal Communications Commission program. To others, they hand out fliers in Vietnamese that explain FEMA benefits and Boat People's program. Many, said Thomas, don't realize that they might be eligible for loans and grants from the government to help them rebuild their boats and homes. But she is confident that more will turn to Boat People for help as they hear about its services. "Word travels pretty fast here," she said. As soon as Boat People showed up last month, Loan and Ky Le turned to the group for help. Boat People case workers say that the Le family has flood insurance for their mobile home and, fortunately, Loan was able to unearth from the rubble a letter certifying her claim. Even so, their claim was rejected, and Thomas is working with them to figure out why, launch an appeal and help them through the paperwork. "She help me a lot," Loan said. Despite the devastating losses, she said, the couple isn't discouraged. As an example, Loan pointed to her husband, who squatted by the trailer, cigarette in hand. "He falls down, he stand up and he walk again. He keep working," she said. "He keep working."
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(No author).
(2006).
Congressman Langevin Introduces New Disability and Emergency Preparedness Bill.
National Organization on Disability.
On February 7, 2006, Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) introduced the Emergency Preparedness and Response for Individuals With Disabilities Act of 2006 in the U.S. House of Representative. The purpose of the proposed Act is to address the needs of individuals with disabilities in emergency planning and relief efforts in the event of a major disaster, and also to increase the accessibility of replacement housing built with Federal funds following major disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina.
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(No author).
(2006).
Disaster Voucher Program (DVP) Operating Requirements -- Rental Assistance for HUD-Assisted Families and Special Needs Families Displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is a notice that provides instructions for the continuation of temporary rental assistace for HUD-assisted families and special needs/homelss families who were displaced because of Hurricane Katrina through the Disaster Voucher Program (DVP). The notice give the background, general overview, and operating requirements of the program. THis is specific to people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Disaster Voucher Program (DVP) Operating Requirements -- Rental Assistance for HUD-Assisted Families and Special Needs Families Displaced by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is a notice that provides instructions for the continuation of temporary rental assistance for HUD-assisted families and special needs/homeless families who were displaced because of Hurricane Katrina through the Disaster Voucher Program (DVP). The notice give the background, general overview, and operating requirements of the program. This is specific to people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Generous Donors Meet American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Costs: Red Cross Honors Commitment to Donors and Public.
American Red Cross.
The website announces the total donations Red Cross has received for Hurricane victims ($2.116 billion that it will take to respond to the hurricanes), and indicates that it has spend 80% of the funds to date. It also specifies that the Red Cross will n
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(No author).
(2006).
Progress Made: A 6 Month Update on Hurricane Relief, Recovery, and Rebuilding.
USA Freedom Corps.
This article discusses the immediate needs of people affected by Hurricane Katrina and also the long-term needs. A section of the article is dedicated to rebuilding the economy and protecting workers. There are also sections on restoring transportation, utilities, social services, etc. There is a brief mention of SSI and SSD but there is not much else pertaining to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Emergencies and Disasters: Declared Disasters and Assistance: What Government is Doing.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
February 28, 2006 marks the 6-month point since Hurricane Katrina hit landfall. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were two of the most intense hurricanes ever recorded during the Atlantic Hurricane season. The storm had a massive impact on the physical landscape, her people as well as on the region’s economy. Approximately 90,000 square miles were hit by the storm – roughly the size of Great Britain – directly affecting 1.5 million people. Commercial infrastructure was heavily damaged, with ports – of which one-quarter of all U.S. imports and exports pass through – closed after sustaining damage. Airports, railroads, bridges, warehouses, wharves, offshore facilities, roads, schools and hospitals were also closed after getting hit. More than 16,000 federal personnel have been deployed to help state and local officials along the Gulf Coast recover from the damage. Some $88 billion in federal aid has been allocated for relief, recovery and rebuilding, with another $20 billion requested, to help victims of storm and the region recover and rebuild. President Bush continues to follow through with the Federal commitment to “do what it takes” to help residents of the Gulf Coast rebuild their lives in the wake of the disaster. 15,000 HUD-assisted or homeless families are receiving up to 18 months of housing assistance through the Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP), administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). More than 6,000 single-family homes within a 500-mile radius of the declared disaster areas have been identified and HUD has either repaired these homes or is currently in the process of repairing them; more than 1,000 families have been able to move back in, with another 800 in process. Once repaired, the remainder of these homes will be offered to evacuees either as temporary housing or for purchase through a discounted sale program. To respond to the human services and mental health needs of individuals affected by the hurricane, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $550 million in Social Service Block Grants. The funding will also provide support to those lacking health insurance or adequate access to care, and to health care safety net providers. Funding was provided in varying amounts to all 50 States, with the majority going to LA (40 percent), MS (23 percent), TX (16 percent), and FL (10 percent). Over 30,000 families are being helped through HHS' Administration on Children and Families (ACF) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families(TANF) program by the provision ofshort?term, non-recurrent cash benefits to families who traveled to another State from the disaster designated States The hurricane-damaged States of MS, LA, and AL also received additional funding for the TANF program to provide assistance and work opportunities to needy families ($69 million for loan forgiveness and $25 million in contingency funds for State Welfare Programs). The website only mentions persons with disabilities to the extent that DOL deployed Disability Program Navigators to assist individuals with disabilities who were affected ($5 million), and the Social Security Administration immediately invoked emergency procedures once Katrina hit to locate displaced Social Security, SSI and disability beneficiaries to provide them with a replacement check if they did not receive theirs, in cases of electronic deposit, were unable to access their funds.
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(No author).
(2006).
Catholic Charities Network Helps 300,000 Victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Catholic Charities.
This article points out several of the services that Catholic Charities has provided including distributing food and clothing, case management assistance, referrals, medical assistance, and direct financial assistance. There is not information specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Progress Made: A 6-Month Update on Hurricane Relief, Recovery and Rebuilding.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This report focuses on the efforts made after Hurricane Katrina hit. It specifically focuses on the activities made by various government agencies. There is a bit of information in the report about recovery, repair, and restoring services. This report
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(No author).
(2006).
American Red Cross Phase into Community recovery Effort.
American Red Cross.
This article discusses a new program in the Red Cross that will help survivors rebuild their lives. The Red Cross provided shelter, food, first aid, and emotion support during the disaster and are now involved in the post-disaster recovery.
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(No author).
(2006).
American Red Cross Looks Back on Hurricane Katrina.
American Red Cross.
This article discussed the Red Cross efforts to recover after Hurricane Katrina. It also has suggestions as to how to prepare, respond, and recover for future disasters.
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(No author).
(2006).
Turning Compassion into Action - Donor Dollars at Work: Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.
American Red Cross.
This document provides cost projections for all of the relief that has been provided to the victims of the three major hurricanes. The areas that aid was provided are: food and shelter; emergency financial assistance; physical and mental health services; additional red cross support; hurricane recovery; fundraising costs/management and general expenses. Because the Red Cross continues to provide aid, the figures provided in the document are projections based on the information currently available. There is no mention of individuals with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Hurricane Recovery Resources.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Several hurricane recovery resources are listed including: Resources for Citizens, Resources for HUD Partners, How Businesses Can Help, and How Citizens Can Help. There is also a link to Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Housing Discrimination Public Service Announcements.
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(No author).
(2006).
Legislation Addresses Emergency Preparedness.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
NSCIA Hall of Fame honoree Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat from Iowa has introduced the Emergency Preparedness and Response for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2005.
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(No author).
(2006).
Kuwait and Kuwait Red Crescent Donate to American Red Cross Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort.
American Red Cross.
The website names the Kuwait Red Crescent Society as a generous donor as the largest donation to the Red Cross to help hurricane victims. It donated $25 million, and had previously donated $2.7 million last November. It names the 225,000 Red Cross workers--95% of whom are volunteers--as the reason that 4 million survivors are receiving aid. The Red Cross has provided: more than 3.5 million overnight stays in nearly 1,200 Red Cross shelters, more than 34 million meals and 30 million snacks, and emergency financial assistance to more than 1.4 million families-more than 4 million people. The site does not discuss persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; PCIE Agency Data: 2/24/2006.
President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
This spreadsheet provides a detailed list by agency of the number and value of contracts awarded, number of auditors hired, and number of arrests made
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(No author).
(2006).
Emergency Preparedness and Response: Some Issues and Challenges associated with Major Emergency Incidents.
Government Accountability Office.
This report is based on the testimony of William O. Jenkins, Jr., the Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues, before the Little Hoover Commission, State of California. This testimony discusses the challenges of effective emergency preparedness
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(No author).
(2006).
Shell Receives Award for Extraordinary Help with Katrina Relief: American Red Cross Presents Shell with National Disaster Partnership Award Thanking Them for Their Generous Support and Donation of $2 Million for Hurricane Relief.
American Red Cross.
This document commends the generosity of Shell, for their sizable donation to the hurricane relief effort. The company contributed $2 million, and it matched employee gifts as well. Also, Shell employees served as volunteers. There is no mention of individuals with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Katrina Disability Information.
Information on Disability for Empowerment, Advocacy, & Support (I.D.E.A.S.).
I.D.E.A.S. (Information on Disability for Empowerment, Advocacy, & Support) has created a webpage, listing resources for people with disabilities who were affected by Hurricane Katrina and their families and friends. The listings include information on n
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(No author).
(2006).
Disaster Preparedness: Preliminary Observations on the Evacuation of Hospitals and Nursing Homes due to Hurricanes.
Government Accountability Office.
GAO is conducting an evaluation of the evacuation of hospitals and nursing homes due to hurricanes, through interviews with relevant officials and a review of documents on emergency management and response plans. Their preliminary findings have revealed
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(No author).
(2006).
Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff Before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
This press release outlines some of the concerns surrounding emergency preparedness and response. It briefly outlines the scope of the Katrina disaster, the shortcomings of the response, the Federal governments responsibilities, state actions, how DHS and FEMA can improve, and problems with communication.
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(No author).
(2006).
A Failure of Initiative: Final Report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This is the final report published by the Select Bipartisan Committee that was created to investigate the preparation for and response to Hurricane Katrina. The research was supposed to look at the development, coordination, and execution by local, State, and Federal authorities of emergency response plans in preparation for Katrina, as well as look at the response to the Hurricane by these same agencies. The report gives an executive summary of the findings and discusses these topics: levees, evacuation, national framework for emergency management, FEMA preparedness, communications, command and control, the military and law enforcement, medical care, shelter and housing, logistics, and charitable organizations. There is mention of people with special needs although the report is not specific to them.
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(No author).
(2006).
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research - Notice of Final Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years 2005-2009.
U.S. Department of Education.
The paper is about a five-year research plan that has several purposes. First is to set broad general directions to guide NIDRR's (National Insitute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research) policies and resources; two, to have objectives for research; 3, to write a system for operationalizing the Final Plan in terms of annual priorities, etc.; 4, to have new emphasis on the management and administration of the research.
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(No author).
(2006).
Notice of Final Long-Range Plan for Fiscal Years.
U.S. Deptartment of Education.
Vol. 71,
Issue 31.
The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) publishes the Final Long-Range Plan (Final Plan) for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) for FY 2005 through 2009. As required by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Act), the Assistant Secretary takes this action to outline priorities for rehabilitation research, demonstration projects, training, and related activities, and to explain the basis for these priorities
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(No author).
(2006).
Kitchen 44 Closes, Feeding Operations Continue: The last Red Cross mobile kitchen in New Orleans packed up and moved out, but mass care of Hurricane Katrina survivors continue in LA.
American Red Cross.
The website covers Kitchen 44, the last mobile kitchen to close and leave the Gulf Region. It served 850,000 meals (part of the more than 31 million meals and nearly 30 million snacks that have been distributed to hurricane survivors in the Gulf States
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MacFarlane, Cathy.
(2006).
Jackson Outlines HUD's Response to Hurricane Katrina in Testimony Before Senate Banking Committee.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This website mentions the $11.5 billion in Community Development Block Grants that Congress appropriated. It also mentions various waivers HUD granted in the wake of the hurricanes. However, this report also notes that HUD's assistance is limited to those who HUD was assisting prior to Hurricane Katrina. Again, this report applies to people with disabilities, however, it is not explicitly stated.
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White, Donna.
(2006).
HUD Creates New, Expanded Hurricane Disaster Voucher Program.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This website discusses the replacement and expansion of the rental assistance program that was put into place after Hurricane Katrina (now it also includes Rita). The goal of the program is to help more families find stable, long-term housing. This report applies to persons with disabilities, however, it is not explicitly stated.
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(No author).
(2006).
Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned.
Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.
The President specifically requested that we review the response to the Federal government to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Report is organized in a manner to give the reader the most comprehensive and clear understanding possible of what happened during the Federal response to Hurricane Katrina.
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(No author).
(2006).
Disaster Facts I.
Nobody Left Behind, University of Kansas.
The web page contains various facts about disasters including Hurricane Katrina, the Tsunami, Flooding, Earthquakes, etc. No specific mention of people with disabilties. Rather, its information is usual if facts are needed about the characteristics of Hurricane Katrina, the death toll, the number of people missing, the amount of aid given, etc.
-
(No author).
(2006).
Challenge by the Storms: The American Red Cross Response to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma.
American Red Cross.
The website discusses the Red Cross's relief efforts after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Although it does not specifically address individuals with disability, the report does include mental health professionals who are trained to help disaster victims cope with stress, loss, and trauma.
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(No author).
(2006).
FEMA's Control Weaknesses Exposed the Government to Significant Fraud and Abuse.
Government Accountability Office.
The GAO has completed a systematic research study that has found significant flaws in the process used to register disaster victims. This lack of control has left the government vulnerable to fraud and abuse in terms of it's Expedited Assistance payment
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(No author).
(2006).
Committee Focuses on Failure to Aid New Orleans's Infirm.
New York Times.
This article discusses the failure to evacuate nursing home and hospital patients during the disaster, which includes people with special needs.
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Frieden, Lex.
(2006).
NCD Bulletin February 2006.
National Council on Disability.
This website is a newsletter bulletin for NCD but includes a link to the Katrina Follow-up. Under that section, it details a report titled The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned. The report identifies deficiencies in the Federal Government's response, makes recommendations, and provides the best solutions to address the problems.
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(No author).
(2006).
Online News of Disability Rights Section: Hospital Guarantees Equal Access to Medical Services.
U.S. Department of Justice: Civil Rights Division.
News for conference that emphasized the importance of preparedness in disasters
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(No author).
(2006).
Emergency Service Links.
National Disability Rights Network.
This website only gives links for the emergency services
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(No author).
(2006).
Hurricane Katrina Information.
MS Council on Developmental Disabilities.
This source does not give any substantive material but announces that Mississippi Developmental Disabilities network (Protection and Advocacy Services, University Centers of Excellence/Institute of Disability Studies and Council on Developmental Disabilities) established two help line numbers to support individuals with developmental disabilities/disabilities and their families.
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(No author).
(2006).
Katrina Information.
MS Council on Developmental Disabilities.
This source does not give any substantive material but announces that Mississippi Developmental Disabilities network (Protection and Advocacy Services, University Centers of Excellence/Institute of Disability Studies and Council on Developmental Disabilities) established two help line numbers to support individuals with developmental disabilities/disabilities and their families.
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(No author).
(2006).
Disability Program Navigator Initiative.
MS Council on Developmental Disabilities.
This source does not give any substantive material but announces Department of Labor (DOL) sent a contingent of Disability Program Navigators (DPN) to the gulf coast to help locate and provide emergency services to people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Disability Program Navigator Initiative.
MS Council on Developmental Disabilities.
This source does not give any substantive material but announces Department of Labor (DOL) sent a contingent of Disability Program Navigators (DPN) to the gulf coast to help locate and provide emergency services to people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2006).
Research Abstracts for the Emergency Preparedness.
American Association on Health and Disability.
This website gives links to articles on emergency preparedness
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Batiste, Linda Carter &Loy, Beth.
(2006).
Employer's Guide to Including Employees with Disabilities in Emergency Evacuation Plans.
Job Accommodation Network: Office of Disability Employment Policy (funded by the U.S. Department of Labor).
This site talks about legal requirements and it also discusses the steps to take in making an evacuation plan that includes employees with disabilities. This site discusses ways to work out plans that are intended to assist employees with various "impairments." The site also has a few footnotes.
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(No author).
(2006).
Memorandum for the Record: GSA OIG Biweekly Reporting on Hurricane Oversight.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
GSA's role in assisting FEMA is to serve as a procurement agent. FEMA submits procurement requests to GSA and GSA employees then conduct the awarding of procurements. The GSA OIG reviewed the GSA procurements for FEMA by examining the procurements for
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Mullener, Elizabeth.
(2006).
LIVES LOST: The life stories behind the storm victims; Benilda Caixeta.
New Orleans Times-Picayune.
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(No author).
(2006).
Prepare Yourself: Disaster Readiness Tips for People with Sensory Disabilities.
National Organization on Disability.
Guideline for the Emergency Preparedness for people with sensory disabilities
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(No author).
(2006).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; PCIE Agency Data: 1/27/2006.
President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
This is a chart related to congressional and agency response for Hurricane Katrina, and the amount given for certain contracts along with the type of reviews being conducted by agencies.
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(No author).
(2006).
Summary of Federal Payments Available for Providing Health Care Services to Hurricane Evacuees and Rebuilding Health Care Infrastructure.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This website has a summary of the federal payments available for evacuee care. There is also a summary of federal assistance available for rebuilding health care infrastructure. At the end, there is also a list of available resources (other websites). This report includes persons with disabilities to the extent that it has a discussion of Medicare and Medicaid. Specifically, the report talks about a modification in Medicare payment rules and expedited access to Medicaid coverage.
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(No author).
(2006).
Internal Controls Over the Emergency Disaster Relief Transportation Services Contract Office of the Secretary of Transportation AV-2006-032.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The review meant to determine if FAA Southern Region's internal controls over the contract are sufficient to ensure that (1) prices paid by the Government are fair and reasonable given the nature of the emergency services provided and (2) the Government
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Dobbs, David A.
(2006).
DHS Organization; Department StructureCs ; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; ACTION: Report on Internal Controls Over the Emergency Disaster Relief Transportation Services Contract Office of the Secretary of Transportation AV-2006-032.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The review meant to determine if FAA Southern Region's internal controls over the contract are sufficient to ensure that (1) prices paid by the Government are fair and reasonable given the nature of the emergency services provided and (2) the Government received the goods and services it paid for. Observations and recommendations: contracting officers needed better information to evaluate price quotes; better documentation of actual amount of goods or services provided was needed before authorizing invoices for payment; and it is recommended that the Department conduct a detailed market survey to establish a baseline of prices for various transportation services to compare future quotes prior to the next emergency.
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Mark Lassiter.
(2005).
Social Security Responds to Hurricane Katrina.
U.S. Social Security Administration.
This report outlines the response of Social Security to Hurricane Katrina. It also gives information about facilities and gives some information about beneficiaries. For example, the report gives the number of people and amount of dollars in various affected areas.
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(No author).
(2005).
Katrina Recovery Information: Students and Families.
MS Department of Education.
This website provides information for displaced students and their families. It also provides web links for children who have various disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
Left in the Wake of the Hurricane: People with Disabilities.
National Disability Rights Network.
This press release describes the ways in which individuals with disabilities were disproportionately represented among those impacted by Katrina. 30 bodies were reported as being found in a New Orleans nursing home. "Emergency plans were not in place."
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(No author).
(2005).
Advocacy Incorporated Information and Referral.
Advocacy, Incorporated.
This is a seven page document with a list of phone numbers directly targeting individuals with disabilities who were displaced after Hurricane Katrina. Advocacy Inc. is a Texas-based nonprofit that has partnered with an agency from LA to disseminate th
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(No author).
(2005).
Advocacy Incorporated Information and Referral.
National Organization on Disability.
This handout contains information for individuals with disabilities displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Advocacy Inc. is collaborating with the Protection and Advocacy entity in LA in order to advocate for LA residents with disabilities in Texas who are displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The handout has information on which organizations to contact - very useful.
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Mark, Amanda.
(2005).
Family Clan Reunites at Red Cross Shelter.
American Red Cross.
The website follows a large family, previously living in New Orleans, to a Red Cross shelter in Birmingham, AL. It does not make mention of persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
Newsroom: National Council on Disability on Hurricane Katrina Affected Areas.
National Council on Disability.
The National Council on Disability (NCD) believes that people with disabilities will have unique needs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that must be surveyed and responded to immediately. The article gives information and makes recommendations for effective disaster relief and assistance to people with disabilities in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Federal government is attempting to address the needs of people with disabilities through FEMA, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Food and Nutrition Service, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. However, more needs to be done to facilitate a coordinated Federal Disability Recovery Plan for Hurricane Katrina. NCD has offered some recommendations to support the administration’s assistance to those affected by Katrina. The article also summarizes different reports released by the NCD with recommendations to the federal government, leaders and experts within the disability community, media professionals, and relevant officials. Some examples of the action and information dissemination by the disability community are provided.
-
(No author).
(2005).
National Council on Disability on Hurricane Katrina Affected Areas.
National Council on Disability.
Outlines the flaws in the federal government's Katrina response; includes recommendation, and subsequent follow-up action after Katrina relief has concluded.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Key Policy Letters Signed by the Education Secretary or Deputy Secretary.
U.S. Department of Education.
Form letter to send to elementary and secondary chief state school officers indicating that flexibility and resources can be found in waivers and modifications; highly qualified teacher requirements; reallocation of funds; and supplemental appropriations.
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(No author).
(2005).
Katrina, 10 Ways to Support Disability Related Relief Efforts.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
Gives guidelines to Support Disability Related Relief Efforts
-
(No author).
(2005).
More Help for Students Displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
U.S. Department of Education.
This site introduces a web page that was designed to ensure that schools affected by the hurricanes have sufficient supplies. There is nothing specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
New Orleans VA Evacuated Safely.
South Central VA Health Care Network.
This is a VA newsletter. It seems like it is generally geared toward employees. There is info about contacting the Red Cross and/or FEMA. Nothing specifically related to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
Talladega Superspeedway Takes Lead on ISC Relief Efforts: Corporate Office Pledges $1 Million in Funding and Services to Kickoff Initiative.
American Red Cross.
This document discusses the efforts that the Talladega Speedway made to the hurricane relief effort, including facilitating the collection of monetary donations from race fans at various racetracks. There is no mention of individuals with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Nissan Provides Assistance For Mississippi Hurricane Relief.
American Red Cross.
The website provides that Nissan Corporation will donate $500,000 in cash, as well as 50 trucks to aid in the effort associated with Hurricane Katrina. The fleet of vehicles was leased by MEMA for $1 and was delivered Monday afternoon and Tuesday, within hours of the Hurricane Katrina coming ashore on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The term of the lease is 30 days, but may be extended if necessary. It does not mention persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
A Delicate Balance Is Undone in a Flash, and a Battered City Waits.
New York Times.
This article discusses the problems involved with the relief efforts and how individuals, including ones with disability, are continuing to suffer.
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Whoriskey, Peter & Gugliotta, Guy.
(2005).
The Evacuation and The Recriminations.
Washington Post.
Most everyone in town knew right away that the worst had happened. The cops heard about it even before Hurricane Katrina itself arrived. Hardy souls who stayed behind figured it out quickly, too. They climbed the stairs to the second floor, then the attic, and then started looking for axes to punch through the roof. The 17th Street levee had collapsed last Monday morning beneath the might of Katrina's storm surge, opening a chasm in the city's flood-protection system and sending a deluge coursing into New Orleans from Lake Pontchartrain. From that moment, the fate of New Orleans was sealed. The city, supposedly 80 percent evacuated by the time the storm hit, would have to be emptied altogether. There was no place for people to stay. And there would not be anywhere to stay next week, next month, perhaps next year. It was time to go. Yet it took until late Saturday to take 42,000 people away -- mostly from the fetid Superdome and the equally squalid Convention Center, while city officials estimated an equal number still awaited evacuation. And that was just New Orleans. Nobody knew how many people in the surrounding parishes still needed transportation. "They keep coming out of the woodwork," said Terry Ebbert, the director of homeland security for New Orleans. "The human suffering I've seen here is greater that anything I've ever been exposed to." With the evacuations firmly underway, recriminations abounded. Michael D. Brown, the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, blamed the city. Mayor C. Ray Nagin "canorder an evacuation," Brown said in a telephone news conference, but it did not work because the city did not have "the resources to get the poor, elderly or the disabled out." "Everybody shares the blame here," countered New Orleans City Council President Oliver Thomas. The large numbers needing assistance may have been a surprise, "but when you talk about the mightiest government in the world, that's a ludicrous and lame excuse. You're FEMA, and you're the big dog. And you weren't prepared either." But a look at Katrina's immediate aftermath suggests that a rush of conflicting demands overwhelmed the ability of officials of all kinds to cope. The feds should have moved faster. President Bush admitted as much Friday, characterizing relief efforts as "unacceptable." The locals, in a broad sense, did not heed their own warnings. There was no secret about New Orleans. The city is a below sea-level punch bowl. A direct hit from a major hurricane would mean evacuating 700,000 of the 1.1 million people in the metropolitan area, University of New Orleans researcher Shirley Laska said in a sobering paper written a year ago. Lose a levee, she said, and 40,000 to 60,000 people could die. Officials have not yet begun to tally Katrina's dead. Nagin ordered a voluntary evacuation for New Orleans on Saturday, Aug. 27, two days before the storm made landfall, and made the evacuation mandatory the next day. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a test," Nagin told the city. "This is the real deal." Six surrounding parishes issued similar orders, and buses took a lot of people out. But a lot stayed behind: the elderly, the infirm, people with special needs, the hurricane die-hards and plenty of tourists. Some airlines did not fly to New Orleans on Sunday. But mostly, the remainder were poor people. New Orleans has 120,000 residents without cars, Laska said in her paper. They needed rides, and they did not get them. This problem should have been foreseen, noted Abby Maxman, the Haiti director for the relief agency CARE, which provided assistance to the city of Gonaives in September 2004, when 3,000 of 180,000 inhabitants perished at the hands of Hurricane Jeanne. "If you are poor, the choices are very, very limited," Maxman said. "But, really, did they have a choice?" Maxman suggested that more mass shelters in proximity to poor communities would have lessened the impact of the disaster. When the storm passed, there were 9,000 people in the Superdome, even though the city had provided services only for the sick and those with special needs. Others could use it "as a shelter of last resort," Nagin said. But after the levee collapsed, the Superdome became the shelter of "only resort," and by Tuesday there were 20,000 inside. The multitude would increase to 30,000 as the week progressed. "Monday we knew what we needed by numbers," Ebbert said Saturday. "We told FEMA we needed to move 30,000 people. Now we're just rolling on number 30,000. This should have been five days ago." But New Orleans had other things to worry about. The primary concern Monday was the burst levee; the focus Tuesday was on plucking desperate survivors from submerged houses, and on Wednesday attention shifted to looters. Only Thursday did evacuation grab the spotlight. By that time the Superdome had turned into a stifling, dimly lighted cavern covered in trash and human waste. Sick people were dying unattended, and women were being raped. The buses started to arrive Wednesday morning but did not make an immediate dent in the crowding. Under increasing criticism for their failure to act quickly, officials spoke about how the scope of the tragedy could not have been anticipated. But some of the excuses rang hollow. Denise Bottcher, a spokesman for Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D), said LA traditionally relies on Mississippi, Alabama and Florida forNational Guard help during emergencies, but the other states had their own problems with the storm. This could have been anticipated days before it hit. It was not until Thursday that the Defense Department announced it was assembling 7,000 federal troops in "Joint Task Force Katrina" to help with relief and security. The same day, State Police Superintendent Col. Henry Whitehorn announced that a group of LA sheriffs were assembling another "task force" to help control New Orleans. It was, for some, too little, too late. "These are people who fell through the safety net, as they always do," Paul Valteau, the sheriff of Orleans Parish said. "They're hard-working, tax-paying citizens, and they're being treated like trash. People in Iraq get treated better by the federal government." Gugliotta reported from Washington. Staff writer Jacqueline L. Salmon in Baton Rouge, La., staff writers Elizabeth Williamson and Spencer S. Hsu in Washington, and researcher Madonna Lebling in Washington contributed to this report.
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Wilemon, Tom.
(2005).
FEMA agrees to handicap settlement.
Sun Herald.
Claire Brou may have to use a scooter to get around, but she knows how to stand up for herself. The 78-year-old Ocean Springs woman and 10 other disabled people who lost homes to either Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita filed a class-action lawsuit against FEMA, contending that the federal agency failed to provide them suitable housing. FEMA agreed to a settlement requiring it to provide more handicap-accessible trailers. A judge will decide if the settlement is fair after a Sept. 26 hearing in U.S. District Court in New Orleans. Brou, a retired U.S. Air Force captain, is a well-known citizen in Ocean Springs who regularly attends City Hall meetings and keeps a close tab on her neighborhood. She relies on a scooter because she is paralyzed on her right side. Cary LaCheen, a lawyer with the National Center for Law and Economic Justice who worked on the case, said other disabled people may not have the wherewithal to fight for their rights. "There are a lot of other people out there who are still waiting or have given up waiting or are living in something that isn't accessible because they were told by a contractor when a trailer was delivered 'Take it or leave it.' According to court papers, FEMA during the last week of September 2005 provided Brou with a trailer that had a door too narrow for her scooter to pass through. The agency gave her a second trailer in October, but the door handle on it was on the wrong side for Brou to use because of her paralysis. The inside was too narrow for her to turn her scooter around and it did not have a roll-in shower. She could only access the bed from the foot, and had to call 911 for assistance one night after she fell. Other disabled South Mississippi residents who sued the federal agency were Eugene Joseph Johnson of Bay St. Louis and Terry West of Kiln. Their lawyers contended that FEMA violated the Fair Housing Act, the Architectural Barriers Act and other federal laws. Under terms of the settlement, FEMA denies any liability and maintains that it administered its programs in a lawful manner. However, the agency has agreed to publicize how it will assist disabled individuals with temporary housing, establish a toll-free telephone number for the disabled to call, require that 10 percent of trailers ordered comply with Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards, hire a separate contractor to assist handicapped individuals, make sure than 5 percent of trailers in group sites are handicap accessible and appoint a third party to resolve disputes between the agency and handicapped individuals. The Sun Herald will publicize the toll free number once it is available.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Zerhouni, Elias A. MD.
(2005).
NIH Activities: Hurricane Katrina.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: National Institute of Health.
This is a copy of a letter from the Director of the NIH to the NIH staff. It refers to the national coordination and referral center the NIH set up. It also mentions a field location and patient transfers.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Red Cross Plans to Support Rita Victims.
American Red Cross.
This document discusses how the Red Cross will be expanding its efforts to assist Hurricane Rita victims as it supported the victims of Hurricane Katrina. This expansion also includes the Motel Program that was put into place to aid the Katrina victims.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Health and Safety Precautions in the Wake of Katrina and Rita.
American Red Cross.
The website follows a Red Cross photographer, as he takes photos of the devastation. It segues into a discussion of the many and varied diseases that have spread rapidly throughout the New Orleans region. It provides CDC tips on how to avoid contractin
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(No author).
(2005).
Red Cross Providing Financial and Housing Assistance to Victims of Hurricane Rita.
American Red Cross.
This document discusses the efforts that the Red Cross is making to provide financial assistance to the victims of Hurricane Rita, while continuing to provide support to Hurricane Katrina victims. It also highlights what people seeking financial assistance can do to obtain assistance from the Red Cross. There is no mention of individuals with disabilities.
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Frieden, Lex.
(2005).
Letter to the President at the White House.
National Council on Disability.
This is a letter addressed to the President of the U.S. concerning a long-term commitment to recovery and reconstruction efforts in the Gulf Coast areas affected most by Hurricane Katrina as well as regions in Texas and LA hit by Hurricane Rita. This letter proposes that reconstruction incorporates individuals with disability. Additionally, discusses accessible housing, reliable transportation, working and educational opportunities for disabled people.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Collaboration Key to Hurricane Katrina Response.
American Red Cross.
The website names other charitable organizations that collaborate with the Red Cross to help Hurricane Katrina victims. The site does not specifically name any organizations that assist persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
American Red Cross Volunteers From Across The Country Bring Hope To Hurricane Katrina Survivors.
American Red Cross.
The website indicates that 4,200 Red Cross volunteers have continued to flock to the Gulf Region in the wake of Hurricanes Rita and Katrina, and nearly 600 new volunteers enter the region daily. To date, 360 shelters are open, and nearly 100 are on standby. The site does not specifically mention persons with disabilities. The site, furthermore, asks for donations.
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(No author).
(2005).
Nike, Inc Donates $500,000 in Immediate Aid to Assist in Relief Efforts for Victims of Hurricane Katrina.
American Red Cross.
The website names Nike, Inc. as a donor of $500,000 in immediate aid. It also indicates Nike's shared devastation of four factory outlet stores in the Katrina-affected area. The site does not mention persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Citizens and Corporations Respond With Outpouring of Generosity.
American Red Cross.
The website indicates that the Red Cross telethon raised $400,000 by the third day for Gulf Coast victims of the hurricanes, and that over $302 million total has been raised to date. It lists corporate donors, and does not specifically mention persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
How to Get Housing Help.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This website is fairly brief and deals with housing assistance. Specifically, it contains links to the Red Cross, Salvation Army, FEMA, and public housing authorities. There is not any information directly pertaining to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Deadlines for Taxpayers Affected by Hurricane Katrina Extended Until February 28.
Internal Revenue Service.
This article talks about the extension of the deadline for affected taxpayers. It specifically outlines the affected areas in LA, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. There is not any information that pertains specifically to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina: GAO's Preliminary Observations regarding Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.
Government Accountability Office.
GAO has undertaken a massive study to answer questions about the nation's readiness and ability to respond to catastrophic disasters in preparation, response, recovery, and rebuilding. The preliminary observations suggest that the mobilized resources wer
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Greczek, Elizabeth A.
(2005).
How to Weave Through the Special Education Maze in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Independent Living Research Utilization.
This is a presentation by Elizabeth Greczek, a senior staff attorney with the National Disability Rights Network. The presentation is about how to provide educational needs for students with disabilities who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Portrait of Mississippi Victims: Safety of Home Was a Mirage.
New York Times.
This article discusses the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Red Cross Program Offers Emotional Support to Disaster Survivors.
American Red Cross.
This document highlights the efforts that the Red Cross has made to provide mental and emotional assistance to hurricane victims dealing with their losses. Not only is the Red Cross providing food and shelter for these individuals, but they are also rec
-
(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina: Where to Go for Help, and How to Help.
National Organization on Disability.
To provide assistance to the survivors of Hurricane Katrina and family and friends of victims, the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) has created a listing of national resources, emergency preparedness resources, and useful web sites. N.O.D. ha
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(No author).
(2005).
Red Cross Needs Public Support for Ongoing Hurricane Relief Efforts.
American Red Cross.
This document is advocating for additional donations to assist in the hurricane relief effort. It highlights what the Red Cross has done thus far to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and the expenses of those efforts, and discusses what additional e
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(No author).
(2005).
Chapter Trains Volunteers to Respond to Hurricane Katrina.
American Red Cross.
The website indicates that 240 new Red Cross volunteers have been trained at the Arlington, VA chapter. More than 100 evacuees have arrived in the DC area from the Gulf region. It does not mention persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Mexican Red Cross Helps Katrina Survivors.
American Red Cross.
The website focuses on the Houston Red Cross headquarters, where there are 20 Spanish-speaking volunteers from Mexico, Baja California, and other places to assist Spanish-speaking disaster victims. They will stay for 21 days. The site does not mention persons with disabilities
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Justesen, Troy.
(2005).
Letter to Parent Center Directors Regarding Parent Training and Information Centers and Community Parent Resource Centers Meeting the Needs of Children with Disabilities and Their Families.
U.S. Department of Education: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
The web page is a letter to Parent Center Directors thanking them for their help with families who have children with disabilities in regards to special education. The letter asks the the directors continue to be proactive in working with the schools and with the families.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Request for Information about the Experiences of People with Disabilities Affected by Katrina.
National Council on Disability.
Soliciting information from disabled individuals who went through Katrina to submit info to the NCD
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(No author).
(2005).
Family Links Up After Katrina.
American Red Cross.
The website discusses a family's reunification in Dallas, TX Red Cross Reunion Area after being separated during Hurricane Katrina. One of the family members, a diabetic, who had just had major surgery before she was evacuated from her home in New Orlea
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Skinner, Richard L.
(2005).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; Roundtable Response to Congressman Todd Platts, Chair Subcommittee on Government Management, Finance and Accountability.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Office of the Inspector General.
The letter to Chairman Platts is a submission of plans to coordinate the work of the Inspectors General. 12 personnel were assigned to monitor operations at FEMA's emergency operations center, 6 auditors and 3 investigators were assigned to the Joint Field Offices in Baton Rouge, Montgomery, and Jackson, working closely with the media to promote "zero tolerance" for fraud/waste/abuse, establishing a hotline, the efforts aforementioned will double as additional auditors and investigators hired will double. Furthermore, DOD, DOT, EPA, DHHS, GSA, DOJ, DOA, USPS, DHUD, DOC, TVA, and DOI will all receive FEMA funding. Thus, no additional authorities are needed to allow appropriate coordination of the efforts.
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Spellings, Margaret.
(2005).
Letter to Honorable Cecil J. Picard in Response to LA's Request for Flexibility.
U.S. Department of Education.
The web page is a letter to the LS State Superintendent detailing a response to a past letter asking for financial funding as well as varias waivers regarding special education students and school policies specifically for those students displaced by the hurricane.
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(No author).
(2005).
Hurricanes - Special Populations.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Center for Disease Control.
This page, through the CDC website, has several links specifically for persons with disabilities. It includes, FEMA, Department of Labor, The National Disability Rights Network, The Association of University Centers on Disabilities, etc. It appears to be one of the more helpful resource pages.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Hurricanes - Special Populations.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Center for Disease Control.
This website, through the CDC, lists some of the census data on persons with disabilities in the areas that were affected by the hurricanes. There is also a frequently asked questions section specifically for persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
National Disability Rights Network Calls on Education Secretary to Address Needs of Students with Disabilities Displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
National Disability Rights Network.
This press release addresses the needs of the 37,000 students with disabilities displaced by Katrina. NDRN is requesting that the U.S. Department of Education provide resources to ensure that students receive the protections of the IDEA, ADA, and secti
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(No author).
(2005).
Letter to Margaret Spellings, Secretary of Education, U.S. Department of Education, RE: Students with Disabilities Displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
National Disability Rights Network.
This letter requests that the Department of Education make resources available to help students with disabilities who were displaced by Katrina. Approximately 373,000 students were displaced and it is estimated that 10% of these students are students wi
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(No author).
(2005).
Grant Opportunity for Hurricane Relief for Centers for Independent Living.
Independent Living Research Utilization.
A web page that states ILRU's ability to give grants for Centers for Independent Living that are involved in helping people with disabilities who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The page discusses several requirements that must be met in order for a grant to be awarded.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Rita Heads for Texas, Affects Katrina Shelters.
American Red Cross.
This document was created before Hurricane Rita hit land, and it discusses its projected impact on shelters housing Katrina victims. The document discusses how victims housed in the shelters in Rita's path are once again being evacuated and relocated to
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(No author).
(2005).
Just a Lucky Guy Who Left His Guitar in New Orleans.
New York Times.
The New York Times followed Gregory Prior who was able to escape the full brunt of Hurricane Katrina and received his disability check which enabled him to relocate.
-
(No author).
(2005).
National Council on Disability on Katrina Affected Areas.
National Council on Disability.
This gives some numbers on how many disabled individuals there are in Katrina affected cities. For example: "In New Orleans, a city of about 484,000 people, 23.2 percent of residents are people with disabilities." It also lists some triage housing contac
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(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina Bulletin: HIPAA Privacy and Disclosures in Emergency Situations.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This bulletin emphasizes how the HIPAA privacy rule allows patient information to be shared in order to assist in the disaster relief effort.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Merck Commits $1 Million To Disaster Relief Fund In Wake Of Hurricane Katrina.
American Red Cross.
The website indicates that Merck has just donated $1M to the Disaster Relief Fund. It does not name if/how this will help persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
Lilly Endowment Gives $10 Million To American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.
American Red Cross.
The website names the Lily Endowment as the largest donor in Red Cross history (more than $50 million since WWII), and most recent donor of $10M to the Disaster Relief Fund. The Lily Endowment made two grants of $5 million during last year's hurricane season and also provided the initial funding for the Coordinated Assistance Network. It does not mention persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Rita Aid Launches Comprehensive Plan to Aid Hurricane Katrina Relief: Rite Aid Foundation Donates $250,000 to Aid Victims of Hurricane Katrina through the American Red Cross.
American Red Cross.
This document announces a new program for people to donate funds to the hurricane relief effort by purchasing $1 relief certificates at Rite Aid stores across the country. Many Rite Aid stores were closed due to the hurricane, but people will be able to continue to receive their prescriptions because of Rite Aid's satellite-linked computer system. There is no mention of individuals with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Help Hurricane Survivors with Disabilities.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
The Centers for Independent Living in Biloxi, Mississippi and New Orleans have been gravely affected by the hurricane. In fact the Biloxi, MS center was totally destroyed. This website gives the bank accounts to send money.
-
(No author).
(2005).
National Council on Disability Calls for Federal Disability Recovery Plan in Response to Hurricane Katrina.
National Council on Disability.
Another overview of Saving Lives
-
(No author).
(2005).
Individuals with Disabilities Face Unique Challenges in Wake of Hurricane Katrina; Texas Protection and Advocacy agency - Advocacy, Inc. - preparing to meet needs of displaced individuals with disabilities.
National Disability Rights Network.
This press release describes the New Orleans evacuation and the realities facing individuals with disabilities that prevented them from leaving: reliance on public transportation, reliance on social security benefits, and dependence on medical facilitie
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Lynch, Robert M.D.
(2005).
Network Responds to Katrina.
South Central VA Health Care Network.
This is a VA newsletter. It seems like it is generally geared toward employees although there is a number to call for Veterans who have questions about their health care.
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Picard, Cecil J.
(2005).
Students Affected by Hurricane Katrina.
LA Department of Education.
The document is from the LS State Superintendent of the LA State Department of Education. The document states that all schools must be be willing to take measures to enroll students who have been displaced by the hurricanes. Specific mention is given to students who would be enrolled in special education classes.
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Saanon, Karyn.
(2005).
Individuals with Disabilities Face Unique Challenges in Wake of Hurricane Katrina.
National Disability Rights Network.
This press release describes the New Orleans evacuation and the realities facing individuals with disabilities that prevented them from leaving: reliance on public transportation, reliance on social security benefits, and dependence on medical facilities resulting from medical conditions. “In learning from this crisis, it is imperative that all emergency plans – whether they be for homeland security or disaster preparedness – include a realistic and effective plan for evacuating residents with disabilities and making provisions for their health needs even in time of crisis,” said Curt Decker, National Disability Rights Network executive director.
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Wasem, Ruth Ellen.
(2005).
Katrina - Related Immigration Issues and Legislation.
U.S. Department of Juctice: Attorney General.
Immigration Issues after Katrina, also deals with the disabled LPRs and nonimmigrants in the hurricane area.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Voting Rights Groups Respond to Carter-Baker Commission Report on Election Reform: Flawed Commission Procedures Yield Flawed Recommendations; Some Would Disenfranchise Vast Numbers of Eligible Voters.
National Disability Rights Network.
This press release describes the potential effects of "Real ID" on individuals with disabilities generally and individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform proposed that all voters show photo identifi
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(No author).
(2005).
Letter to the Honorable Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security.
National Council on Disability.
Letter encouraging Dept. of Homeland security to appoint a "point person" to coordinate disability relief; also includes a long-term plan for disability accommodation/relief for the DHS to follow.
-
Smith, Dennis G.
(2005).
Medicaid services, including Waiver services.
Hurricane Recovery LA.
This letter addresses efforts to ensure that people affected by Hurricane Katrina are provided medical services through Medicare and Medicaid.
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(No author).
(2005).
Medicaid Fact Sheet: Disaster Relief Emergency Medicaid Waiver Program.
Department of Health and Human Services: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has taken numerous actions to ensure that the Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Programs will respond to the health care needs of beneficiaries and medical providers affected by Hurricane Katrina. Individuals with disabilities that are Hurricane Katrina victims will be provided temporary eligibility for five months of Medicaid or SCHIP coverage.
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Alper, Bruce.
(2005).
Emergency preparedness fails post-9/11 test; Federal officials want to examine communications problems.
New Orleans Times-Picayune.
-
Davis, Tom & R. Platts, Todd.
(2005).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; Congressional Request Letter to The Honorable Richard L. Skinner, PCIE Homeland Security Roundtable Chair.
Congress of the US: House of Representatives.
The letter to Secretary Chertoff and Inspector General Skinner requests submission of a plan to coordinate the work of the inspectors general that should inform the Committee on Government Reform whether additional resources or authority are necessary to allow appropriate coordination.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Disaster Preparedness from the Alzheimer's Association.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
A two-page write-up of how family members can prepare for and care for a person with dementia during an emergency or a disaster. It goes through what supplies a person should have, how to behave, and what to do once the person is relocated.
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(No author).
(2005).
NIH Opens Up Medical Consultation Line to Patients Affected by Hurricane Katrina.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: National Institute of Health.
This article talks about the medical consultation service that the NIH has made available to people in the affected areas. There are several areas in which consultations are available. There is nothing specific pertaining to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Southern Baptists Help Feed Millions After Katrina.
American Red Cross.
This document discusses the partnership that the Red Cross has with the Southern Baptist Convention of the North American Mission Board. The Southern Baptists provided manpower and kitchens to the relief effort, and they provide mobile kitchens in the e
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(No author).
(2005).
Owners of Nursing Home Charged in Deaths of 34.
New York Times.
This article discusses the individuals being prosecuted for failing to evacuate their nursing home, leading to several deaths.
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Schneider, Andy; Rousseau, David.
(2005).
Addressing the Health Care Impact of Hurricane Katrina.
Kaiser Family Foundation.
This brief is an initial assessment and reviews of the ongoing health needs of the Gulf Coast area and the resources that are available to meet those needs. It includes a summary of the implications for the health of the population and its access to needed care. It also outlines the implications for the affected states. Lastly, it examines ways the federal government could respond.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina Update.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This site has some resources for assistance. It also encourages victims of Katrina to register with FEMA. There is nothing specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Across the Nation the Salvation Army is Providing Aid to Survivors of Hurricane Katrina.
The Salvation Army.
This article talks about the work that the Salvation Army is doing in the affected areas. There is nothing specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
Checklist for Interaction with Katrina Evacuees Coming to Your State.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
This site provides information for people affected by Hurricane Katrina, including individuals with disability. The site discusses efforts to coordinate the flow of information between states and across the country, and offers many links to government website.
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Smith, April.
(2005).
After the Storm.
South Central VA Health Care Network.
Provides details on mobile clinics set up to provide treatment to vets displaced by Katrina. his document includes persons with disabilities to a limited degree.
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Sullivan, Brian.
(2005).
Jackson to Chair US Interagency Council on Homelessness.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This article explains how HUD is "cutting red tape" to help people who were made homeless by the hurricanes. It points out that HUD is working with FEMA, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Labor, and Department of Veterans Affairs. There is nothing specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
Muriel Siebert & Co., Inc. Extends Program To Sell Stock Donated To Red Cross For Hurricane Katrina Victims At No Charge.
American Red Cross.
The website indicates that the Siebert Company's Charitable Stock Donation Program, originally developed to assist victims of Florida Hurricanes, reopens as investors show interest in donating stock to help in the Katrina aftermath. 2004 alone, Siebert handled over $26 million in stock donations for charities without commission charges. Siebert has been selling stock donated to the American Red Cross without commission charges through the Siebert Charitable Stock Donation Program since last fall. To date, the firm has sold close to $3 million in stock donated to the Red Cross to help disaster victims, including $655,000 earmarked for Hurricane Katrina victims in the past week alone. It does not mention persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
Safeguarding the Health of Katrina's Victims.
Kaiser Family Foundation.
This is a transcript of a meeting discussing the current health situation of the people affected by Hurricane Katrina. Comments were made on the general help of the public and volunteers as well as the response at the local, state, and federal levels in terms of health care. There is some mention of people with disabilities and special needs.
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(No author).
(2005).
Handbook on Disability and Special Needs.
West Virginia University: Center on Excellence for Disabilities.
One of the most important roles of local government is to protect their citizens from harm including helping people prepare for and respond to emergencies. Making local government emergency preparedness and response programs accessible to people with disabilities is a critical part of this responsibility. Making these programs accessible is required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). If you are responsible for your community's emergency planning or response activities, you should involve people with disabilities in identifying needs and evaluating effective emergency management practices. Issues that have the greatest impact on people with disabilities include: notification, evacuation, emergency transportation, sheltering, access to medical care and medications, access to their mobility devices or service animals while in transit or at shelters and access to information. In planning for emergency services, you should consider the needs of people who use mobility aids such as wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, canes or crutches, or people who have limited stamina. Plans also need to include people who use oxygen or respirators, people who are blind or who have low vision, people who are hard of hearing, people who have a cognitive disability, people with mental illness and those with other types of disabilities. Although employers are not required to have emergency evacuation plans under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), if employers covered by the ADA opt to have such plans they are required to include people with disabilities. Further, employers who do not have emergency evacuation plans may have to address emergency evacuation for employees with disabilities as a reasonable accommodation under Title I of the ADA. In addition, employers in certain industries may have obligations to develop emergency evacuation plans under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA Act) or under state and local law. If you are a person with a disability, know how to reduce the impact of a disaster on yourself. The website reminds people that persons with disabilities are just like everyone else and provides a list of more considerate terms for persons with disabilities Many people with disabilities use "assistive technology" to enable them to use computers and access the Internet. People who cannot see computer monitors may use screen readers - devices that speak the text that would normally appear on a monitor. People who have difficulty using a computer mouse can use voice recognition software to control their computers with verbal commands. People with other types of disabilities may use still other kinds of assistive technology. Poorly designed web sites can create barriers for people with disabilities, just as poorly designed buildings prevent some people from entering them. Designers may not realize how simple features built into a web page will assist someone who, for instance, cannot see a computer monitor or use a mouse. It then names section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (naming 16 specific sections: images, multimedia, color, readability, server-side image maps, client-side image maps, data tables, row and column headers, frames, flicker-rate, text-only, scripts, applets and plug-ins, electronic forms, navigation, and timed response), section 255 of the Communications Act, and the ADA, all of which have requirements for accessibility to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
NCD Bulletin Sept. 2005.
National Council on Disability.
NCD calls for Katrina Relief action from Homeland Security; CRIPA and Hurricane Relief efforts, and a legislative update related to disability.
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Wilemon, Tom.
(2005).
Biloxians coping, remembering.
Sun Herald.
Sau Tran sat on Oak Street on Wednesday surveying the damage and worrying about lost lives. She said the evacuation orders should have been posted and broadcast in Vietnamese. "In the emergency or something very, very important, we need to know," Tran said. Point cadet, leveled by Hurricane Katrina, its home to a large Vietnamese community. This area at the tip of the Biloxi peninsula, which has historically been a community of fishermen and sea food workers, is where several waves of immigrants have established footholds. Established families trace their roots back there, but their cultural centers, the Slovenian Lodge and the Fleur de Lisle society, no longer exist. The Vietnamese Catholic Martyr's Church and the Buddhist Temple were still standing. Mabel Walker was thankful to have received food Wednesday from a Salvation Army mobile kitchen, but was still in need of shelter. She was also dealing with horror of the hurricane. After the tidal surge began sliding the house on Holley Street on Monday where and her 80 year old uncle had hunkered down, they went outside and climbed onto a tree. "I saw a man with no legs floating down the street in a wheelchair," she said. "There was nothing I could do. The water was too rough and I was having to hold onto my uncle." They were in the water for 7 hours but lived. Walker said she did not know what happened to the man in the wheelchair. Brian and Tracy Craddock, a couple who are both registered nurses at Biloxi regional medical center, walked along the beach Wednesday after working long hours to treat the wounded. Brian Craddock worked from 4 p.m. Sunday until 8 a.m. Tuesday taking naps when he could. Tracy Craddock left her shelter at 6 p.m. Monday, after the worst of the hurricane had passed, to work at the hospital. Nurses who normally work in surgery, they assisted Emergency Room personnel and evacuated patients from the sixth floor. The nursing staff treated people with bruises, cuts, crushing injuries, and heart attacks. However there was a silver lining. A couple who were separated by the storm while clinging to a roof during the tidal surge were reunited. They came into the hospital within an hour of one another. "The hospital got them into the same room," Tracy Craddock said.
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(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina #3: Additional Special Needs Shelter Openings.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
The web page explains that new shelters for citizens with special needs are opening up in the Baton Rouge area. They are a last resort shelter and not for the general public.
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(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina #2: Special Needs Shelters Opening.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
The web page is a news release stating that shelters would be opening in two counties specifically and only for people with special needs or disabilities. The webpage gives locations and numbers for the shelters.
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(No author).
(2005).
Coastal Town Prepares for Hurricane Katrina.
American Red Cross.
The website includes information on how to prepare for the Hurricane season (creating a family communication plan, keeping at least half a tank of fuel in all cars, and taking a disaster kit when leaving the home), and follows one man as he boards his wi
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(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina Comes Ashore in Florida.
American Red Cross.
The website provides readers with information to assist them in preparing for flooding from a hurricane. It does not indicate how/if this would change for persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
Tropical Storm Katrina Heads for Miami.
American Red Cross.
This document was created before Hurricane Katrina was classified as a hurricane, and before it hit land. It discusses the difference between hurricane "watches" and hurricane "warnings," and emphasizes the importance of creating a personal evacuation p
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(No author).
(2005).
Analysis of Local Emergency Management Plans to Determine Whether the Needs of People with Mobility Limitations are Being Met.
Nobody Left Behind, University of Kansas.
The three-year research grant, Nobody Left Behind: Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Mobility Limitations, awarded to the University of Kansas, Research and Training Center on Independent Living, and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the American Teachers of Preventative Medicine (TS#0840), stipulates that the researchers will: Request a local emergency management plan at the time of the disaster occurrence for each of the 30 sites selected for analysis and the most recent version of that document, and Analyze the plans to determine if any and what changes in disaster planning and emergency response policies and practices were made with respect to persons with mobility impairments. From the 11 sites that provided investigators with a section of their local emergency management plans for review, only two (or 18%) had comprehensive procedures stated in their plans to address many of the needs of persons with mobility impairments. The two sites took different approaches in their individual plans. One approach created a separate appendix on persons with disabilities, while the other approach referenced how to address the needs of the persons with disabilities in the various appropriate sections. Both of these approaches could be considered as emerging best practices for emergency managers to adopt. In addition, the plan should, at a minimum, address the guidelines for ADA pertaining to emergency management as recommended by the Department of Justice. It is recommendation that model appendices be developed for the various special needs populations. It is also recommended that federal and state leaders in emergency management encourage at the local level the adoption of separate appendixes for the various special needs populations that are predominate in their individual community settings. This is a major shift in philosophy concerning the content style of emergency management plans. But, it appears to be warranted due to the lack of training many of the emergency managers have in special needs populations, which includes persons with disabilities. This research study found that 73% of the managers had not taken the special needs course offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 80% did not have guidelines in their plans and another 79% are not planning to develop guidelines to address the needs of persons with disabilities. As illustrated from the television coverage of persons who were affected by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, many had disabilities or chronic conditions. As evident by the total chaos of the response, there needs to be systems for identification of persons and residential and medical facilities needing assistance with evacuation, transportation, shelter, or medical needs during a disaster. The importance of these identification systems were confirmed with the 11 local emergency plans submitted to the researchers for review. Ten out of the 11 plans had requirements for one or more identification systems to address specific assistance needs of the elderly, ill, and persons with disabilities. The necessary federal, state, and local resources for the creation, maintenance, and public outreach efforts necessary for these identification systems should be encouraged and supported. It is advised that further research explore the strengths and weakness of various identification systems to assist emergency managers in the selections of systems to accommodate varying assistance needs and community situations, such as rural and urban.
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(No author).
(2005).
Nobody Left Behind: Analysis of Local Emergency Management Plans to Determine Whether the Needs of Persons with Mobility Limitations are Being Met.
The Research and Training Center on Independent Living at the University of Kansas.
This document indicates that a three-year research grant was awarded to the University of Kansas funded by the CDC. The project was to request local emergency plans from 30 sites selected for analysis, and to analyze those plans. From the 11 sites that provided investigators with a section of their local emergency management plans for review, only two (or 18%) had comprehensive procedures stated in their plans to address the needs of persons with mobility impairments. The two sites took different approaches in their individual plans. One approach created a separate appendix on persons with disabilities, while the other approach referenced how to address the needs of the persons with disabilities in teh various appropriate sections. Both of these approaches could be considered as emerging best practices for emergency managers to adopt. In addition, the plan should, at a minimum, address the guidelines for ADA pertaining to emergency management as recommended by teh DOJ. It is recommendation that model appendices be developed for the various special needs populations. It is also recommended that federal and state leaders in emergency management encourage at the local level the adoption of separate appendices for the various speical needs populations that are predominate in their individual community settings. This is a major shift in philosophy concerning the content style of emergency management plans. But, it appears to be warranted due to the lack of training many of the emergency managers have in special needs populations, which includes persons with disabilities. This research study found that 73% of the managers had not taken the special needs course offered by FEMA, 80% did not have guidelines in their plans and another 79% are not planning to develop guidelines to address the needs of persons with disabilities. There needs to be systems for identification of persons and residential and medical facilities needing assistance with evacuation, transportation, shelter, or medical needs during a disaster. Ten out of the eleven plans had requirements for one or more identification systems to address specific assistance needs of the elderly, ill, and persons with disabilities.
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June Isaacson Kailes.
(2005).
Why and How to Include People with Disabilities in Your Emergency Planning Process?.
JIK.com.
Discusses the significance of incorporating persons with disabilities in the disaster preparedness and response process.
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(No author).
(2005).
Briefing Paper: Objective Three, Part 1.
Nobody Left Behind, University of Kansas.
A briefing paper that targets leading agencies in developing and implementing policies and procedures for emergency preparedness and response for people with disabilities. The paper includes research findings and questions to address the findings. Further recommendations are included.
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Roth, Marcie.
(2005).
Serving and Protecting All by Applying Lessons Learned. Including People with Disabilities and Seniors in Disaster Services.
Disabilitypreparedness.gov.
The web page is actually a report about the lessons learned during Hurricane Katrina and what needs to be done for people with disabilities at the local, state, regional and federal level. It also discusses evacuation, housing, communication, shelters, training, recovery centers, as well as experiences of people with disabilities in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
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(No author).
(2005).
Funding Sources and Partners.
MS Council on Developmental Disabilities.
This website provides links to various government agencies that provide assistance to individuals with disability. However, it really does not address emergency preparedness.
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(No author).
(2005).
Annotated Bibliography on Emergency Preparedness and Response For People with Disabilities.
American Association on Health and Disability.
This website gives links to articles on emergency preparedness
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(No author).
(2005).
Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People With Disabilities.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This articles addresses emergency preparedness and response programs for local government. It includes information about transportation, shelter, and providing assistance to disabled individuals during the emergency.
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(No author).
(2005).
Resource Center: Air Transport.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
This site provides links to air medical transport - it does not really address individuals with disability nor emergency preparedness.
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(No author).
(2005).
Resource Center: Emergency Preparedness.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
This website provides links on emergency preparedness. One link in particular describes disability-inclusive emergency preparedness, management and relief resources, articles and news. Another link discusses how safe a wheelchair user is.
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(No author).
(2005).
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This document provides information about a booklet written by the Red Cross titled Disaster Prepared for the Disabled and Elderly. The booklet was designed to help people who have physical, visual, auditory, or cognitive disabilities prepare for natural disasters and their consequences. The website outlined ten important steps for preparedness.
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(No author).
(2005).
State Resources: LA.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
This site provides several links for individuals with disability in LA. This does not really address emergency preparedness.
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(No author).
(2005).
Persons with Disabilities Speak Out (1).
Nobody Left Behind2.
This web page includes comments from people with disabilities in response to their experiences in natural disasters. Many of the quotes include comments on housing, shelters, accessiblity, etc.
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(No author).
(2005).
State Plan FYY2006-2007.
LA Developmental Disabilities Council.
This is the annual fiscal report for the LA Developmental Disabilities Center. It includes the goals and objectives of the counsel for the year 2006.
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Keener, Beresford, Anthony Cahill, Anne Pascarelli Barraza, Roberta S. Carlin.
(2005).
Dealing with Disabilities: Tips for First Responders.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This document provides first responders information as to how to respond to an individual with disability during an emergency situation. The paper is divided into sections: 1) people with service animals; 2) people with mobility impairments; 3) people who are mentally ill; 4) people who are blind or visually impaired; 5) people who are deaf or hard of hearing; and 6) people with cognitive disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
Katrina Recovery Information.
MS Department of Education.
This website discusses the education initiative to help Mississippi schools recover, rebuild, improve, and expand the learning opportunities for students.
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(No author).
(2005).
Hurricanes- Special Populations.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This website provides information for people with disabilities, their families and friends, and emergency responders who have to prepare and respond to emergencies and disasters.
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(No author).
(2005).
Emergency Preparedness Issues for People with Disabilities Will Be Discussed.
American Association on Health and Disability.
Notes about a survey conducted to evaluate whether Americans with disabilities are not well-prepared for emergencies
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(No author).
(2005).
A Record of Accomplishment - 2004.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This website discusses President Bush's program - New Freedom Initiative, which helps ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work, make choices about their daily lives and participate fully in community life. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)created an Office of Disability which is responsible for leading the HHS New Freedom Initiative; oversee, coordinate, develop and implement disability programs and initiatives within HHS that impact people with disabilities; ensure that persons with disabilities across the lifespan have a voice within HHS; and heighten the interaction of programs within HHS and with federal, state, community and private sectors. Additionally, it discusses emergency preparedness for people with disability at all levels, including federal, state, tribal, and community levels.
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(No author).
(2005).
People with Special Needs.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
This document provides information on how to prepare for an earthquake, what precautions to take, and what to do during and after an earthquake. The article is directed towards individuals with disabilities and children.
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(No author).
(2005).
Preparing Health Professions Students for Terrorism, Disaster, and Public Health Emergencies: Core Competencies.
Academic Medicine.
Vol. 80,
Issue 6.
The recent increase threat of terrorism, coupled with the ever-present dangers posed by natural disasters and public health emergencies, clearly support the need to incorporate bioterrorism preparedness and emergency response material into the curricula of every health professions school in the nation.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Rooney, Catherine, Fox, Michael H., Rowland, Jennifer, White, Glen W.
(2005).
Progress Report #2: Preliminary Findings.
Nobody Left Behind, University of Kansas.
The paper cites the findings of the ongoing research of 30 cites where naturual disasters occurred throughout the US. The paper gives preliminary findings of the research stating that the policies and procedures in place for people with mobility impairments are weak
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Kailes, June Isaacson.
(2005).
Disaster Services and "Special Needs": Term of Art or Meaningless Term?.
Nobody Left Behind, University of Kansas.
This publications discusses and analyzes the term "special needs," the definition of the term, who it includes, and why people with disabilties need to be included within society.
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(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
This website is a plethora of information about Hurricane Katrina, and has 8 main topics: what HHS is doing; health and safety; how to get help; donate and volunteer; finding friends and information, what other federal agencies are doing; key state government agencies in the region, and federal payments available for hurricane relief/recovery. What HHS is doing: to ensure vital services are available to meet the needs of those affected by Hurricane Katrina, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has extended the public health state of emergency through Jan. 31, 2006. The Secretary’s order applies to states affected by Katrina—LA, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida—as well as those harboring many evacuees: Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. Many evacuated patients have received substantial medical care. Initially, much of the care was related to acute injuries, exposure, and other immediate complications of the hurricane. While care for these conditions is continuing as necessary, many evacuees have lost their usual source of care and ability to pay for it as the evacuation continues. Additionally, health care providers need to be reimbursed for care provided to patients in hurricane-affected areas and evacuee areas. These payments are necessary to facilitate their ongoing operations and to compensate them for additional costs and unanticipated utilization of services. It lists the Waiver Under Section 1135 of the Social Security Act, provides information to recipients of government assistance (does not specifically name those receiving disability benefits), lists press releases, and provides an extensive fact sheet on travel, but does not include travel for persons with disabilities. Health and Safety: articles about Disasters & Emergencies: Hurricanes (Health and Human Services); Hurricanes: Health & Safety (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Environmental Concerns After Hurricane Katrina (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Environmental Health Needs and Habitability Assessment (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Environmental Protection Agency); Keep Food and Water Safe (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Protect Yourself from Animal and Insect Hazards (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Clean Up Safely After a Hurricane (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Mental Health Resources (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Hurricane Information for Response and Cleanup Workers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Vaccination/Immunization Information (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Hurricane-Related Information for Health Care Professionals (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Hurricane Katrina Information for Evacuation Centers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Prevent Illness after a Hurricane (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Prevent Injury after a Hurricane (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Hurricane Katrina: Special Messages for Schools (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention); Safe Drug Use after a Natural Disaster (Food and Drug Administration); Insulin Storage and Switching Between Products by Victims of Hurricane Katrina (Food and Drug Administration); Impact of Severe Weather Conditions on Biological Products (Food and Drug Administration); Information About Medical Devices and Disasters (Food and Drug Administration); Prescription Drug Records for Evacuees (KatrinaHealth.org, a Public-Private Coalition, including Health and Human Services); Hurricane Mental Health Awareness Campaign (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration); Crisis Counseling Hotline (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration); Coping with Hurricane Katrina and Rita (National Institutes of Health); Coping with Traumatic Events (National Institutes of Health); Care Tips for Survivors of a Traumatic Event: What to Expect in Your Personal, Family, Work, and Financial Life (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration); Tips for Talking to Children After a Disaster: A Guide for Parents and Teachers (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration); Helping Children Cope with Crisis: A Guide for African American Parents (National Institutes of Health); Health Services Telephone Hot Lines; Hurricane Relief & Recovery: Status of Federally funded Health Centers in the Affected Areas (Health Resources and Services Administration); Mental Health Services Locator (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration); Information for Patients or Participants in Clinical Studies (National Institutes of Health). How to get help: there are several articles about health and social assistance: Assistance for Katrina Survivors with Disabilities or Special Needs; Children's Services; Education; Financial Assistance (disability benefits, food stamps, and other financial assistance programs--just takes you to the SSA page to apply); Health Benefits (Medicare, Medicaid, prescription assistance); Health Services; and Unemployment. Donate and Volunteer: HHS and USA Freedom Corps website links. Finding Friends and Information: link to firstgov.com, which coordinates information for evacuees for all federal agencies. What other federal agencies are doing: links to DHS and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Key state agencies in the region: links to Arkansas, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LA, and Mississippi state agencies.
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(No author).
(2005).
Gifts That Give Back: A popular shopping trend helps the American Red Cross continue to deliver what's most important this holiday season - hope.
American Red Cross.
The website asks for donations during the holiday season and provides gift ideas (CDs, Toys and Collectibles, Books, Calendars, and Emergency Preparedness kits), none of which are specific to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(2005).
I'd Do It Again Tomorrow.
American Red Cross.
This article details a couple's decision to help with the relief efforts in LA. Does not specifically discuss individuals with disability.
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(No author).
(2005).
Finding of No Significant Impact: Emergency Temporary Housing Project Ephesus Baptist Church Housing Site Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This report summarizes the environmental impact in regard to one specific site. The report concludes that there would be no significant adverse affects on the environment at this site. There is not any information specifically pertaining to persons wit
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(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Season Ends While Red Cross Work Continues.
American Red Cross.
The website gives a chronological history of the devastating hurricane season, which had just ended. The Red Cross has assisted nearly 3.75 million people who were affected by that storm, and estimates that relief efforts will cost nearly $2 billion. I
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Thomas, James.
(2005).
Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities.
Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions.
The powerpoint presentsation talks about the efforts in Conneticutt to prepare for an emergency. Also includes how each individual can be prepared for an emergency and what should be included in an emergency kit.
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(No author).
(2005).
KDHAP-SN Administering Agency Eligibility Criteria.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Using acronyms, this document briefly lists qualifying criteria for agencies that are applying to administer the KDHAP funds. Individuals with disabilities are not directly mentioned.
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(No author).
(2005).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; PCIE and ECIE - Oversight of Gulf Coast Hurricane Recovery, A 90-Day Progress Report to Congress, December 30, 2005.
President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
The 141-page document reports on investigations ensuring that federal response and recovery funds are spent appropriately, those attempting to defraud the government are brought to justice, and those responsible for the relief efforts are wise stewards i
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(No author).
(2005).
PCIE Biweekly Agency Data.
President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
This spreadsheet provides a detailed list by agency of the number and value of contracts awarded, number of auditors hired, and number of arrests made
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Salmon, Jacqueline L.
(2005).
Evacuees Feel Stress From FEMA Deadlines.
Washington Post.
For days, Clarence Gray Sr. has carried around a folded piece of paper in his pocket with scribbled numbers on it that are supposed to get his life back to normal. Apartment locators. Furniture donors. FEMA. Texas Department of Human Services. Food stamps. The number for a nice lady named Linda, who, when he asked her for 50 cents for bus fare to apartment hunt, simply chauffeured him one afternoon to help him search. He is a Katrina evacuee, and that's all she needed to know. "It ain't like I ain't trying," said Gray, 56, whose home for almost four months has been a room at a Days Inn in far north Houston. But he has no vehicle, which is a must in this sprawling, car-dependent city. He has tried to walk along the massive network of interstate highways but does not have the stamina to sustain the treks. And the few apartment buildings he got to refused to take a city rental voucher subsidized by FEMA. Gray has no cell phone to stay in touch. He has no income other than a small monthly disability check. He has heart and cervical disc problems. He has costly prescriptions to fill. His family is divided -- some back in LA, some scattered around Houston. And now he's being treated for depression brought on by his living situation. "The walls," Gray said. "Oh lordy, they get closer and closer." Even in the nation's most generous host to hurricane evacuees, resettling and resuming life post-Katrina or post-Rita is a challenge. Thousands of evacuees, like Gray, are still living in hotels subsidized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and face a Feb. 7 deadline to find permanent housing. An additional 105,000 evacuees housed in Houston apartments under a city-sponsored voucher program that guaranteed rent and utilities for a year might face eviction on March 1, when FEMA stops reimbursing the city for the program. City officials and apartment owners are protesting the move, but FEMA officials say they will instead provide a year's worth of rent-only payments to individuals under a more strictly regulated assistance program. Mayor Bill White has declared the fourth-largest city in the country "full," and says there are only 3,500 moderately priced apartments left. "People think people got money and people getting on with their lives," said Katrina evacuee Linda Jeffers, who is working with the Metropolitan Organization in Houston, a professional organizing group affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation. But that's not true for many, said Jeffers, who spent the weeks before Christmas trying to get donated mattresses, blankets and food -- as well as potential homes -- to families. "This is where we are," she said. After Hurricane Katrina struck in late August, followed a month later by Rita, Houston took in an estimated 250,000 of the 2.5 million Gulf Coast residents who evacuated -- a migration not seen in this country since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Displaced residents are now scattered from Maine to Hawaii and Alaska to Puerto Rico, with the largest concentrations, according to FEMA records, registered as living in Texas, LA, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Some evacuees were still living in shelters until recently. Just last week, FEMA closed its last evacuee shelter in San Antonio, moving a couple of hundred people, including a dozen who are elderly or disabled, from the former Kelly Air Force Base into suitable housing. Nationwide, FEMA still rents about 37,000 hotel rooms, four months after Katrina. The states with the largest number of evacuee-occupied hotel rooms at the end of last week were LA, with 11,076; Texas, with 9,487; Georgia with 7,142; Florida, with 2,450; and Mississippi, with 1,468. FEMA's latest formula for calculating the numbers of people living in hotels is to multiply each room by 1.5. Hampered by the uncertainty of whether they can ever return to New Orleans or other devastated cities, the evacuees are trapped in the bureaucratic red tape that governs federal disaster relief. The three-month supply of emergency food stamps has ended, and emergency $2,300 housing stipends have been depleted. Rules for the longer-term recovery assistance are confusing to many evacuees and landlords, and aid is slow arriving. Evacuees face imminent deadlines to get into permanent housing wherever they landed, and many will have to relocate without furniture or with only the barest of necessities. "This is more than just about finding them an apartment or a house to live in," said Roy Craft, executive director of the Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta, which next month will open a huge interagency resettlement center fashioned after the Vietnamese refugee resettlement programs of the 1970s. "This is about case management." FEMA is emptying hotels and is going to terminate rental assistance to Houston and the housing authorities of Austin, Beaumont, Dallas and San Antonio, ending the federal public assistance emergency program. It will institute an individual assistance recovery program under which people will be eligible for a year's worth of rental assistance, meted out three months at a time. But they must prove that their homes were destroyed, that they were paying rent or a mortgage when the storm hit and that they were uninsured. They also must show the aid they get is used for rent to get a three-month renewal of the assistance. "For all those people who still do qualify for individual assistance, the rent will be paid for a year, but they won't get free utilities," said FEMA spokesman Don Jacks. "Those in hotels won't be able to have maid service every day, and they won't be eligible to go to a shelter to get three free meals a day." The program, he said, "was not designed to have FEMA life-long assistance for disaster victims. It's a leg up to help you get back on your feet." But Poule and Theresa Marnez and their five children are having a hard time rebounding and moving on from their two FEMA-subsidized rooms in a hotel near the Johnson Space Center. Their four-bedroom rental home in Sulphur, La., was destroyed by Hurricane Rita. Sitting in FEMA's Disaster Relief Center in Houston last week with his wife and three of the children, Marnez clutched a stack of multiple listings he had obtained from a real estate agent. He has a housing voucher from the city, and he needs a large house. He had been rejected five times by landlords who said they didn't want to participate in the voucher program for various reasons, including the fact the program does not provide security deposits even though it guarantees the rent. "I have been renting a vehicle to move back and forth looking for houses, wasting money, gas and time, and I haven't gotten a house yet," Marnez said. Marnez is a welder who worked freelance jobs at chemical plants in southwestern LA and southeast Texas. The weekend Rita hit, he was supposed to head to Houston on a job that would give him at least several weeks worth of work at more than $20 an hour. Instead, he and his family weathered the storm at a friend's home in Sulphur, where they were marooned for five days once the storm passed. Damage to their house made it unlivable, so they stayed with the friend in her two-bedroom house until they wore out their welcome. Unable to find other housing in LA, they headed to Houston in their hurricane-damaged car, convinced they would have better luck. But since late October, the Marnezes have been living in two hotel rooms. No jobs have come Marnez's way, and he has been suffering from anxiety attacks as time goes on. "I'm getting disappointed, man," he said. "I'm getting desperate." In a two-page letter he was carrying addressed to FEMA, neatly handwritten in blue marker, he explained the family's predicament, saying he had sought out real estate agents and expended the little money the family had on rental cars to get around the big city. "What are we going to do is my question without a house after the [Feb.] 7, 2006 deadline" to vacate the hotel, he wrote. "Can you please do something about it ASAP. Thank you. Sincerely, Poule Christian Marnez."
-
(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina Impacts.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
The Center for Independent Living in Biloxi, Mississippi was destroyed and other facilities were severely damaged. One early challenge has been to locate people with disabilities and determine their needs. Many need medication, medical equipment or supplies.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Real Stories, Real Loss.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
Examples of the actual experiences of people with spinal cord injury impacted by the Gulf Coast storms. Their stories are sadly typical, and our hope is that their experiences will not be entirely in vain, but help with the effort to establish effective emergency preparedness and disaster relief policies and systems. These stories can and should have been about needs being met, rather than lives being compromised.
-
Karp, Gary.
(2005).
Disaster and Disability.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
Gives the brief facts about Hurricane Katrina had struck the Gulf Coast, with Rita soon to threaten Houston. Within days survivors with disabilities were running out of critical supplies — or had been forced to leave things behind.
-
Roth, Marcie.
(2005).
Unnecessary Tragedy: Hurricane Katrina's Unavoidable Pain.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
This briefing was attended by House and Senate staff, and many representatives of cabinet and sub-cabinet level federal agencies. It was convened to share what happened to people with disabilities before, during, and immediately after the hurricanes hit. The focus was on how to avoid the failures in planning, response and recovery which occurred, and how to meet the urgent long-term needs and accessibility issues in the Gulf States.
-
(No author).
(2005).
PCIE Biweekly Agency Data.
President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
This spreadsheet provides a detailed list by agency of the number and value of contracts awarded, number of auditors hired, and number of arrests made
-
(No author).
(2005).
Louisiana's Deadly Storm Took Strong as Well as the Helpless.
New York Times.
The New York Times conducted more than 200 interviews with relatives, neighbors and friends of the victims who died during Hurricane Katrine, including an individual with a disability.
-
(No author).
(2005).
PCIE Biweekly Agency Data.
President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
This spreadsheet provides a detailed list by agency of the number and value of contracts awarded, number of auditors hired, and number of arrests made
-
Picard, Cecil J.
(2005).
Federal Funding for Districst that Enrolled Hurricane Displaced Students.
LA Department of Education.
The document is from the LS State Superintendent stating that Congress is working on the budget for the schools that enrolled extra students due to their displacement by the hurricanes.
-
(No author).
(2005).
In Times of Trouble, Ask for Help.
Washington Post.
This article briefly discussed that many victims of Hurricane Katrina were granted forbearances for their loans.
-
Fox, Michael H.; White, Glen W. Ph.D., Catherine L. Rooney, M.A., and Jennifer L.Rowland, Ph.D., P.T.
(2005).
Disaster Preparedness and Response for Persons with Mobility Impairments: Results from the University of Kansas Nobody Left Behind Study.
Nobody Left Behind2.
This is a slightly different chart than the one above that lays out the research outlines for the Nobody Left Behind Project funded by the University of Kansas. There is some mention of people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
KDHAP Participating Public Housing Authorities.
National Disability Rights Network.
This four page document lists the public housing authorities participating in KDHAP in the fifty states. Individuals with disabilities are not directly mentioned.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program - Special Needs (KDHAP-SN) - Fact Sheet.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This fact sheet explains the Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program - Special Needs (KDHAP-SN), a program providing rent subsidies in the private housing market for individuals who were homeless prior to Katrina, who were displaced by Katrina, and w
-
(No author).
(2005).
Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP) Operating Requirements.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The purpose of this paper is to set forth the policies and procedures for the Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP), which is an initiative to aid pre-disaster HUD-assisted and homeless families in finding temproary housing. The paper goes on to describe the background and general over of the program, as well as the operating procedures. The paper references people with disabilities when mentioning that special consideration will be taken into account when looking for suitable housing.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP) Operating Requirements.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The purpose of this paper is to set forth the policies and procedures for the Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP), which is an initiative to aid pre-disaster HUD-assisted and homeless families in finding temporary housing. The paper goes on to describe the background and general over of the program, as well as the operating procedures. The paper references people with disabilities when mentioning that special consideration will be taken into account when looking for suitable housing.
-
Frieden, Lex.
(2005).
NCD Bulletin December 2005.
National Council on Disability.
This website is a newsletter bulletin for NCD and discusses a review conducted by the Housing Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight on relief services provided by charitable organizations and explored areas where service delivery, preparedness, and coordination could be improved.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Quarterly Meeting Notes.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities.
The paper is a recap of a quarterly meeting of the Interagency Coordination Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities. The meeting included a presentation on the impact of the hurricanes on people with disabilities in the Gulf Coast area, and the actions that ICC was taking to provide relief. There were also updates from the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Federal Communications, and Homeland Security. There was also a section of Question and Answer.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Register for Assistance: Tennessee.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This site has information for registering with FEMA. The information here is geared towards persons in Tennessee. There is nothing specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
FAQ: Hurricane Katrina Frequently Asked Questions.
MS Department of Education.
FAQ website provides answers to questions of Mississippians who are recovering from the Hurricane and want to get specific services. It also provides contact information after the answer for each question.
-
(No author).
(2005).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; Information: U.S. Department of Transportation, Inspector General, Notification of Audit of Opportunities for the Federal Highway Administration.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
The letter indicates that DOT will begin an audit of Congress' multibillion dollar proposal to cover long-term cost of reconstructing roads and bridges damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina: Its Impact on People with Disabilities.
National Organization on Disability.
The National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) has collected and listed articles that focus on the impact of Hurricane Katrina on people with disabilities. The articles provide information on disability concerns in the affected areas, news reports and
-
(No author).
(2005).
DHS Homeland Security Grant Applications Must Now Include Disability and Special Needs Component.
National Organization on Disability.
The DHS Preparedness Directorate Office of Grants and Training issued a Preparedness Directorate Information Bulletin on November 23, 2005 that will impact the national emergency management plan review being conducted by each state and territory of the United States. Planning issues surrounding the special needs population and people with disabilities are now clearly seen in two parts of the Catastrophic Event Planning that each FY2006 DHS Homeland Security Grant applicant must provide answers to during their grant application process.
-
(No author).
(2005).
PCIE Biweekly Agency Data.
President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
This spreadsheet provides a detailed list by agency of the number and value of contracts awarded, number of auditors hired, and number of arrests made
-
(No author).
(2005).
Katrina Evacuees Fret Over Housing Again; In Texas Hotels, FEMA Assistance Is About to Run Out.
Washington Post.
This article discusses the lack of available short term housing for victims of Hurricane Katrina, it briefly mentions a survivor who has a disability.
-
(No author).
(2005).
PCIE Biweekly Agency Data.
President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
This spreadsheet provides a detailed list by agency of the number and value of contracts awarded, number of auditors hired, and number of arrests made
-
(No author).
(2005).
South Florida Scrambling To Find Emergency Housing.
New York Times.
This article discusses how the Red Cross is responding to Hurricane Wilma and the need for short term housing.
-
Wiley, Richard E. Harold, Rosemary C.
(2005).
Communications Law: On the Brink of Change.
Communications Law.
Practising Law Institute.
Pp. 163.
The article discusses changes in communications law and communication requirements for emergency situations. There is specific mention, brief, of making sure that people with disabilities are able to be notified of an emergency.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(2005).
Emergency Management and People with Disabilities: Before, During and After.
National Council on Disability.
NCD Congressional Briefing on what needs currently to be done for individuals with disabilities during emergencies, what is being done now, and what needs to be done in the future.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Defensive Strategies: A Disaster Plan for Those Who Need It Most.
American Association of Retired Persons.
This article discusses the preparedness of other cities and the failure to prepare for Hurricane Katrina, which has led to many deaths.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina Response.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Generally details HUD response to Katrina; addresses HUD efforts to asses "issues and needs and review education and outreach strategy being developed to support Disaster Relief Centers (DRC) on fair housing and civil rights issues" for those with disabilities. This report includes some information on persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Katrina Response.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The paper by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development discusses the various initiates carried out by the agency in response to Hurricane Katrina. The document gives specific details about the type of housing and the duration as well.
-
Super, Nora & Biles, Brian.
(2005).
Displaced by Hurricane Katrina: Issues and Options for Medicare Beneficiaries.
Kaiser Family Foundation.
This is an issue brief that discusses the Medicare policies and practices that could further access to health care for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina. It looks as several options and how those options would affect beneficiaries.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Register for Assistance: Mississippi.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This site has information for registering with FEMA. The information here is geared towards persons in Mississippi. There is nothing specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
LA Job Fair to Benefit People with Disabilities and Evacuees.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
The web page details that there will be job fairs throughout LA to help people with disabilities get back on their feet and find jobs after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina
-
(No author).
(2005).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; Information: U.S. Department of Transportation, Inspector General, Oversight Efforts for Hurricane Relief and Recovery Activities.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
The letter indicates that work will be directed toward preventing fraud, waste, and abuse and detecting and prosecuting fraud following Secretary Mineta's testimony before the House about the DOT's response to Hurricane Katrina. Recommendations: verify
-
(No author).
(2005).
Red Cross Workers from Around the World Join Katrina Relief Efforts.
American Red Cross.
This document praises the efforts of the "international team" -- volunteers to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort from France, Norway, and Canada. These volunteers worked to feed the victims of the disaster. There is no mention of individuals with dis
-
(No author).
(2005).
Red Cross Combats Fraud with Federal Partners.
American Red Cross.
This document discusses the problem of fraudulent claims submitted to the Red Cross for hurricane relief. It discusses what measures the Red Cross takes to prevent such fraud. Finally, the article concludes by discussing what precautions donors can tak
-
(No author).
(2005).
Red Cross Volunteer Does Double Duty.
American Red Cross.
This document is a public-interest piece about one of the Red Cross volunteers working in the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief effort who, in addition to his duties at Red Cross Client Services, also provides haircutting services to fellow volunteers an
-
(No author).
(2005).
Different Faces, Same Heartbreak.
American Red Cross.
The website focuses on one individual with a physical disability. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, this individual received financial assistance from the Red Cross in Mississippi.
-
(No author).
(2005).
EPI Press Conference regarding report on SNAKE teams' assessment of Katrina response and rescue efforts.
National Organization on Disability.
This transcript includes the briefings given by Secretary John Hager (Education Rehabilitation Services at the Department of Education) and Hilary Styron (Head of the Emergency Preparedness Initiative) during the EPI Press Conference. Secretary Hager gav
-
(No author).
(2005).
Fact Sheet on Additional Hurricane Support for Children and Adults with Disabilities.
U.S. Department of Education: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.
This article briefly describes how OSERS is assisting people with disabilities affected by the Hurricanes, by providing funding assistance to agencies well placed to help these people. The office is providing more than $2 million to CILs to be used for r
-
(No author).
(2005).
Putting Compassion in Action: Converting Donated Dollars into Aid for Disaster Victims.
American Red Cross.
This document discusses how the Red Cross uses the donations that it receives from the public. It highlights the various ways how donations may be made, and then it is concluded with a discussion of what the Red Cross' response to Hurricane Katrina has
-
Bradshaw, Jim.
(2005).
Hurricane Victims with Disabilities Receive Assistance through Department of Educaiton.
U.S. Department of Education.
The web page is a notice announcing that President Bush has signed a law granting the U.S. Education Department authorer to permit states in the Gulf Coast area a large sum of money for vocation rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. The VR services could include education, training, technology and other services that would be necessary for employment.
-
Martin, Jane.
(2005).
LA Early Steps--Katrina and Rita Information.
Hurricane Recovery LA.
The website provides links for families and providers displaced by Hurricane Katrina and Rita, but it does not specifically address individuals with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; PCIE Agency Data: 10/28/2005.
President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency.
This spreadsheet provides a detailed list by agency of the number and value of contracts awarded, number of auditors hired, and number of arrests made
-
(No author).
(2005).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; PCIE Homeland Security Biweekly: Hurricane Katrina Oversight.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Office of the Inspector General.
The document appears to be a cover sheet announcing the first President's Council on Integrity and Efficiency Biweekly Interagency Homeland Security Roundtable Report on Hurricane Katrina Oversight.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Fact Sheet on Obtaining and Using Employee Medical Information as Part of Emergency Evacuation Procedures.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
This is a fact sheet put out by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on how employers can obtain and use medical information in order to ensure the welfare and safety of their employees. The fact sheet is specific to people with disabilities and includes information in question and answer form on how an employer can identift someone who may need assistance, what type of assistance will be needed, and who has access to this information.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Fact Sheet on Obtaining and Using Employee Medical Information as Part of Emergency Evacuation Procedures.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
This is a fact sheet put out by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on how employers can obtain and use medical information in order to ensure the welfare and safety of their employees. The fact sheet is specific to people with disabilities and includes information in question and answer form on how an employer can identify someone who may need assistance, what type of assistance will be needed, and who has access to this information.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Commission Meeting of October 25, 2005: Transcript.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
This is a transcript from an October 2005 commission of the EEOC in which peple with disabilities and emergency planning where the main focus. The discusses centered around the need for employers to have emergency plans intact for emergencies, especially for people with disabiltiies after the catastrophy in the Gulf Coast area. The meeting also included a discussion of what EEOC is doing to provide relief and aid to the Gulf Coast area.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Commission Meeting of October 25, 2005: Transcript.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
This is a transcript from an October 2005 commission of the EEOC in which people with disabilities and emergency planning where the main focus. The discusses centered around the need for employers to have emergency plans intact for emergencies, especially for people with disabilities after the catastrophe in the Gulf Coast area. The meeting also included a discussion of what EEOC is doing to provide relief and aid to the Gulf Coast area.
-
Aitken, Michael P.
(2005).
Meeting of October 25, 2005, Washington D.C. on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities: Is the Workplace Ready?.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
This is a transcript from a meeting between the director of the Society for Human Resource Management (SPHR) and the EEOC regarding the emergency preparedness for individuals with disabilities in the workplace. The director of SPHR gives the EEOC several recommendations regarding how it can help employers prepare their workplace as well as noting SHRM's response to Hurricane Katrina.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Call Congress Today.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
This article is requesting people to phone their senators to obtain assistance for Katrina survivors. It briefly mentions the interest of people with disabilities.
-
Insel, Thomas R. MD.
(2005).
Coping With Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: National Institute of Health.
This update from the director of the NIMH gives recommendations for relief workers. It specifically discusses post-traumatic stress. This report does not specifically include persons with disabilities.
-
Picard, Cecil J.
(2005).
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Issues Related to Special Education.
LA Department of Education.
The document is from the LS State Superintendent and specifically address students with special education needs. The document was supposed to have an attachment with Questions and Answers for Directors and Supervisors in regards to meeting the needs of special education students. However, the document is not attached.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Hurricane Season 2005: Katrina.
NASA.
NASA offers several maps which show the areas that were affected by the storm and the extent of the flooding at various times in the weeks following Katrina. The maps are interesting because they show the affected areas in a unique way. There is not any information on this website specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Partnership Key to Service Delivery for Hurricane Victims.
American Red Cross.
This document discusses the partnership that the Red Cross created with ACS, Inc., in order to set up a call center to provide financial assistance for hurricane victims. It discusses how the call center has improved over time in order to handle the cal
-
(No author).
(2005).
Health Coverage for Individuals Affected by Hurricane Katrina: A Comparison of Different Approaches to Extend Medicaid Coverage.
Kaiser Family Foundation.
This is a chart that details two different approaches to extend Medicaid help to people affected by Hurricane Katrina. There is some mention of people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
National Guard Homeland Defense White Paper: 9/11, Katrina, and Beyond.
Army National Guard.
A section of this paper beginning on page 4 talks about the LA Guard and their preparation and response to Katrina. This page states that 200,000 people were evacuated to shelters (with many more evacuated in total). There is not any information specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Emergency Evacuation of People with Physical Disabilities from Buildings: 2004 Conference Proceedings.
U.S. Department of Education.
A two-day conference on Emergency Evacuation of People with Physical Disabilities was held Oct. 13-14, 2004. The conference provided a forum to discuss: the impact of building and life safety codes on the evacuation of people with physical disabilities from buildings; the current evacuation procedures for people with physcial disabilities from the first responder perspective; the experiences of people with physical disabilities during emergency evacuations from buildings; the design and development of different types of evacuation devices; and the current state of research on mobility equipment, human factors, and egress modeling. There were keynote speakers and panel discussions on building and life safety codes; current practices of emergency management and first responders toward evacuation of persons with physical disabilities; current state of evacuation devices. There was a user perspective and demonstrations of state-of-the-art research.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program (KDHAP) Application: User Guide.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The KDHAP is a joint program between FEMA and HUD that offers temporary housing assistance to those families who lived in HUD housing before Katrina, those who were homeless, and those already screened by FEMA. This is a guide for the case worker workin
-
(No author).
(2005).
Relief for Katrina Victims with Special Needs.
This article provides information for individuals with special needs who need help finding housing, employment, and other assistance.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(2005).
How Well Are You Prepared for a Hurricane, Flood, Fire, Terrorist Attack or Other Emergency!.
Independent Living Research Utilization.
ILRU puts out a newsletter and this is the October 2005 copy. The newsletter includes topics on lessons learned in previous flooding disasters, a few things to know about FEMA, lessons learned from 9-11 and how they apply to Katrina, an initial glimpse at the problems experienced by evacuees at shelters, personal preparedness checklist, and advice to relief workers.
-
(No author).
(2005).
Safety In the Storm.
Nursing Homes.
Vol. 54,
Issue 10.
Pp. 32.
This article discusses the preparation taken by Biloxi Community Living Center for Hurricane Katrina.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
Frieden, Lex.
(2005).
NCD Bulletin October 2005.
National Council on Disability.
This website is a newsletter bulletin for NCD and discusses the September 30 letter written by Frieden to the President regarding reconstruction and incorporating a community with universal access.
-
Rooney, Catherine, Fox, Michael H., Suchowierska, Monika, Rowland, Jennifer, White, Glen W.
(2005).
Progress Report #1: Methodology.
Nobody Left Behind, University of Kansas.
A methodology paper that explains why the research project was started and how the investigation was carried out. While the mission of the research was to investigate 30 sites in the U.S. were a federal disaster was declared and determine if disaster plans and emergency response systems included people with disabilities, evaluate surveillance systems that can help people with disabilities, and identity best practices that meet the needs of people with disabilities, the paper focuses on the methodology of the research.
-
(No author).
(2004).
Executive Order: Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness.
The White House.
This is a link to an executive order of the President prior to the hurricanes. It mentions the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities which is states is within the Department of Homeland Security.
-
(No author).
(2004).
General Demographic Characteristics, 2004: Mississippi.
U.S. Census Bureau.
This data gives general demographic information about the areas that were affected in Mississippi. This is very basic information and does not have any info specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities. However, there are links which lead to pages with information about persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2004).
General Demographic Characteristics, 2004: New Orleans city, LA.
U.S. Census Bureau.
This data gives general demographic information about the areas that were affected in New Orleans. This is very basic information and does not include information specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2004).
General Demographic Characteristics, 2004: Mobile County, Alabama.
U.S. Census Bureau.
This data gives some information about Mobile County, Alabama. There is not information on this page specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities. However, there is a link which goes to a page with information about persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2004).
Selected Social Characteristics, 2004: Alabama.
U.S. Census Bureau.
This data gives selected social characteristics for areas in Alabama affected by the hurricanes. This data does include some information on disability, however, it is not very extensive.
-
(No author).
(2004).
2004 American Community Survey: New Orleans.
U.S. Census Bureau.
This data gives some information about New Orleans. There is not information relating specifically to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2004).
Selected Social Characteristics, 2004: New Orleans city, LA.
U.S. Census Bureau.
This data gives selected social characteristics for areas in New Orleans affected by the hurricanes. This data does include some information on persons with disabilities, however, it is not very extensive.
-
(No author).
(2004).
Selected Housing Characteristics, 2004: New Orleans city, LA.
U.S. Census Bureau.
This data gives housing information about New Orleans city, LA. There is no information on this page specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(2004).
Selected Social Characteristics, 2004: Mississippi.
U.S. Census Bureau.
This data gives selected social characteristics for areas in Mississippi affected by the hurricanes. This data does include some information on disability, however, it is not very extensive.
-
(No author).
(2003).
Demographic Profile of Hurricane Katrina Affected Counties.
U.S. Census Bureau.
This interactive map shows the demographic profiles of the counties affected by Hurricane Katrina (there are also links to Rita and Wilma). The demographic info is not that extensive but it is helpful in some ways. I did not see info directly relating to persons with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(1905).
Emergency Preparedness for Those with Special Needs.
This article discusses emergency preparedness for children with special needs.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(1905).
University of Kansas: Leaving Nobody Behind.
American Association on Health and Disability.
This webpage discusses the University of Kansas research project "Nobody Left Behind." It highlights some study results and recommendations.
-
(No author).
(1905).
Catholic Charatities of New Orleans to Provide Shelter Counseling and Assessments under Agreement with State.
Catholic Charities.
The web page lists the actions that Catholic Charities is taking to help battered women in the LA and Mississippi area following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
-
(No author).
(1905).
Proud to Belong to Catholic Charities: One Case Manager's Experience.
Catholic Charities.
The web page is one man's thoughts about his time spent down in LA and Mississippi helping people, most of whom were people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(1905).
In the Eye of the Storm: How the Government and Private Response to Hurricane Katrina Failed Latinos.
National Council of La Raza.
This report was written to explore the failure of public and private agencies to response adequately to changing demographics and how this particularly affected their ability to serve Latinos in the post-Katrina relief and recovery effort.
-
(No author).
(1905).
We Can Do Better: Lessons Learned for Protecting Older Persons in Disasters.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This is a follow-up report by AARP after a national conference they held in response to Hurricane Katrina and its impact on the elderly and people with disabilities. The intent of the report is to provide suggestions and links to practical tools and resources that will help policy makers at the federal, state, and local levels be better prepared for disasters. The report addresses planning and communications, identifying who will need help, including tracking and medications, and evacuating other persons, including transportation and special needs shelters. The two main parts of the report as preparedness and response.
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Bissell, Richard A.; Pinet, Luis; Nelson, Matthew; Levy, Matthew.
(1905).
Evidence of the Effectiveness of Health Sector Preparedness in Disaster Response: The Example of Four Earthquakes.
Family & Community Health Special Issue: Disaster Management in Public Health.
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Vol. 27,
Issue 3.
Pp. 193-203.
In this article, evidence that health sector preparedness improves response performance in disasters was examined. Case fatality and survival data were compared for four earthquakes, in relation to health sector emergency preparedness levels. Vast differences in performance were found. The two California systems, with a high preparedness index, had low case fatality rates (about one death per 100 injuries). Kobe, Japan, with mixed levels of preparedness, had 31 deaths per 100 injuries, and Armenia (low preparedness index) had 167. Public health and health sector preparedness made a significant difference in the ability to respond effectively to meet patient needs in disasters, although it is only one of several factors that determine the health outcome of disaster victims.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Galea, Sandro; Hadley,Craig; Morse,Stephen S.;.
(1905).
Health promotion in practice.
Jossey-Bass.
Pp. 427-459.
create: Health Promotion in Practice is a practice-driven text that translates theories of health promotion into a step-by-step clinical approach for engaging with clients. The book covers the theoretical frameworks of health promotion, clinical approaches to the eleven healthy behaviors--eating well, physical activity, sexual health, oral health, smoking cessation, substance safety, injury prevention, violence prevention, disaster preparedness, organizational wellness, and enhancing development--as well as critical factors shaping the present and the future of the field. Written by the leading practitioners and researchers in the field of health promotion, Health Promotion in Practice is a key text and reference for students, faculty, researchers, and practitioners.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Reyes,Gilbert; Jacobs,Gerard A.;.
(1905).
Handbook of international disaster psychology: Interventions with special needs populations.
cover: The stories in these pages will prove instructive and inspirational to all concerned with promoting the psychological welfare of people who have endured horrific events triggered by the violence and upheaval of mankind or nature at their worst. Contributors to this set include professors from Columbia, Harvard, and Johns Hopkins universities, as well as the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the World Health Organization. A remarkable team of expert authors provides firsthand accounts from disaster survivors around the globe, enabling readers to understand the lingering trauma and mental wounds that might otherwise go unrecognized, yet last a lifetime. These are the men, women, and children whom practitioners in the new field of disaster psychology seek to heal. They include survivors of torture, terrorism, genocide attempts, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunami, and other manmade or natural disasters. This set of books is the most comprehensive available resource explaining the practices and principles that have been employed, and are being employed, to heal them. foreword: Every day millions of people in the world are affected by disasters. Concern for people's mental health after disasters is a relatively recent phenomenon. Disaster psychology is a young field; practitioners and researchers alike need to learn from one another. We all need to learn from one another on how to achieve meaningful objectives in a culturally appropriate and sustainable manner in order to reduce avoidable mental and social suffering without causing harm. This handbook provides a rich collection of writings by many of the world's experts on disasters. Reading these chapters will prepare both novice and experienced practitioners for a better response. This is an important book.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(1905).
Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities.
American Association on Health and Disability.
This website provides news on the emergency preparedness
-
(No author).
(1905).
New Study of Katrina's Effect on People with Disabilities.
American Association on Health and Disability.
Kansas University researchers will study the effects of Hurricane Katrina on Gulf Coast residents with disabilities. The research will be funded by a grant from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Researchers will gather information from emergency managers and independent living centers. The team also will travel to the Gulf Coast to look at the agencies' plans for people with disabilities and what they did before, during, and after the storm.
-
(No author).
(1905).
Any School District School Occupational Safety and Crisis Response Plan.
MS Department of Education.
This document is very comprehensive and details all processes for all emergency situations, including natural disasters, missing children, criminal activity, bomb threats, and child injury. It explains how to help children and how to assist those in charge.
-
(No author).
(1905).
Workplace disaster preparedness and response: The employee assistance program continuum of services.
Vol. 7,
Issue 3.
The article discusses the need for response programs for the workplace during a critical and traumatic event.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(1905).
Preparing for the Unthinkable: Managers, Terrorism and the HRM Function.
Vol. 34,
Issue 2.
This article discusses the renewed interest in emergency planning in both the private and public sectors as a result of the September 11 attacks.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(1905).
Hurricane Relief Progress Report.
Catholic Charities.
This documents summarizes the assistance that Catholic Charities provided to people affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It does not specifically reference people with disabilities.
-
Basler, Barbara.
(1905).
Defensive Strategies.
Hoboken, NJ, US; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Vol. 46,
Issue 10.
Pp. 16-18.
Discusses the readiness of communities to provide for their special-needs residents during disasters. Most communities have not considered the issue of how to evacuate people with special needs, let alone made specific plans, but watching the response in New Orleans, LA, to Hurricane Katrina may change that. Congressional hearings probing the botched evacuation of the city are already under way. However, disaster managers say what happened in New Orleans could have happened in other cities and towns. With its large older population and its vulnerability to hurricanes, Florida is one of the few states to have developed a comprehensive program. Linn County, Iowa, developed its own special-needs plan, without any help from the state, and has been cited as a model by federal emergency officals and by the National Association of Counties. A sidebar presents an interview with Representative Peter King, R-NY, head of the House Homeland Security Committee.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Elgie, Robert; Sapien, Robert E.; Fullerton-Gleason, Lynne.
(1905).
The New Mexico School Nurse and Emergency Medical Services Emergency Preparedness Course: Program Description and Evaluation.
Journal of School Nursing.
Alliance Communications Group.
Vol. 21,
Issue 4.
Pp. 218-223.
Illness and injuries are common among students and school staff. Therefore, school nurses must be prepared. In this study, a 16-hour scenario-based emergency preparedness course for school nurses was evaluated for its effectiveness. Effectiveness was measured by (a) traditional methods (written exams and confidence surveys) and (b) skills and performance evaluations in simulated emergencies called On-site Mock Emergency Scenarios. School nurses who completed the emergency preparedness course showed significant improvement in knowledge, confidence, and On-site Mock Emergency Scenarios scores that measured each nurse's ability to apply knowledge in simulated emergencies.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Polatin, Peter B.; Young, Mark; Mayer, Maile; Gatchel, Robert.
(1905).
Bioterrorism, stress, and pain: The importance of an anticipatory community preparedness intervention.
Journal of Psychosomatic Research.
Elsevier Science.
Vol. 58,
Issue 4.
Pp. 311-316.
This article reviews the accumulating scientific evidence demonstrating the negative impact caused by a cataclysmic event, such as bioterrorism, on the mental health of a community. Moreover, the potential mental health problems created by the continuing threat of possible future events are discussed. This close link among disaster events, stress, pain, and psychopathology is presented from a biopsychosocial perspective. Although there are now efforts being systematically developed to prepare for possible future biological or chemical terrorism events, there is currently also a critical need for early mental health intervention in response to future attacks to decrease psychiatric sequelae, especially workforce illness and morbidity. In this article, examples of such emergency bioterrorism preparedness, incorporating a major focus on mental health issues, are reviewed. Although these are now recognized needs, there is still not a concerted effort to prepare the population for the mental health sequelae that would be produced by such events.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(1905).
Safe Evacuation for Students with Disabilities.
This article discusses how schools should prepare for natural emergencies when they have students with disabilities.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(1905).
Public Health Emergency Preparedness in the Setting of Child Care.
Vol. 27,
Issue 3.
This article discusses the need for emergency preparedness in child care, offering recommendations for consultants working with child care providers.
(Available via licensed database.)
-
(No author).
(1905).
System issues for psychiatrists responding to disasters.
Vol. 27,
Issue 3.
This article provides the foundation for the elements involved in US disaster response and highlights the key organizations, agencies, and disaster response systems to outline the framework in which psychiatrists may bring their professional skills to the people who need them most.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Perry, Ronald W.
(1905).
Emergency Operations Centres in an Era of Terrorism: Policy and Management Functions.
Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management.
Blackwell Publishing.
Vol. 11,
Issue 4.
Pp. 151-159.
The purpose of this article is to review the jurisdictional policy context of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), identify the functions performed and to describe the basic structure and operation of an EOC. Throughout the discussion, special attention is given to nontraditional functions that must be introduced into the EOC to cope with terrorism threats. The jurisdictional EOC is the centre of co-ordination, resource assembly and deployment, and management strategy in large-scale disasters. It is the place where technical emergency management directly interfaces with elected political authorities to form legitimate emergency authority and expertise. Sporadic and improvisational use of EOCs may be traced to three factors. First, large incidents that absolutely require an EOC are infrequent and small incidents can be handled with minimal EOC functionality or with the EOC functions assumed by other organisations. Second, local emergency managers sometimes take a narrow view of the jurisdictional emergency management system, failing to include needs for political concurrence with the response and citizen needs for information normally met in an EOC. Finally, many emergency managers do not fully understand the functions and structure of the EOC.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Brock, Stephen E.; Sandoval,Jonathan; Lewis,Sharon.
(1905).
Preparing for crises in the schools: A manual for building school crisis response teams (2nd ed.).
Hoboken, NJ, US; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Presents a step-by-step guidebook for advance preparation and early response to school crises. Specifically, the authors provide a chapter on the early detection of potentially violent students (with concrete ideas on how to proactively respond to the special needs of these youth), anecdotal vignettes illustrating actual school crises and the responses by school personnel, a blueprint for crisis response training (including a complete in-service workshop designed to facilitate crisis intervention skill development), and guidelines for responding to the unique opportunities and dangers presented by media attention. Recommendations for helping to ensure student and staff safety and security before, during, and after crises; suggestions for assessing crisis response plan readiness; and guidelines for debriefing and evaluating a school crisis response are also discussed.
(Available via licensed database.)
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Neal,W.; Kieffer,S.
(1905).
Preparing pediatric home care patients for a medical emergency.
Caring.
Unknown Publisher.
Vol. 17,
Issue 5.
Pp. 48-50.
Discusses the necessity that the families and providers for children with special health care needs living at home be prepared for possible medical emergencies. It is recommended that parents, physicians, and emergency medical services personnel work as a team in this endeavor.
(Available via licensed database.)
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(No author).
(1900).
Position listing for Project Manager for Katrina Aid to Individuals with Disabilities (KAID).
National Disability Rights Network.
This website lists the job vacancy for the "Katrina Aid to Individuals with Disabilities Project Manager," an NDRN position created specifically to direct relief efforts for people with disabilities who were displaced due to hurricane Katrina. The Proje
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(No author).
(1900).
ILRU Katrina Relief Resources for People with Disabilities (blog to post resources).
Independent Living Research Utilization.
The web pageis a blog for people with disabilities to post comments about their experiences during Hurricane Katrina. People can also post comments or informational helpful to people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Hurricane Planning for People with Special Needs.
Disabilitypreparedness.gov.
The web page relies information on how people with disabilities can pre-plan for a hurricane, what they need in an emergency kit, how to find help, how to evacuate, and what to do after the hurricane.
-
(No author).
(1900).
ICC Katrina Response and Recovery Efforts : Emergency Preparedness NOW Spotlight Interview, U.S. Department of Education: Assistant Secretary.
Disabilitypreparedness.gov.
The web page lists the activities that the ICC had taken when Hurricane Katrina hit to help victims with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(1900).
LA Advocacy Center Helping Hurricane Katrina Evacuees with Disabilities.
Disabilitypreparedness.gov.
The web page talks about the work that the LA Advocacy center did to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Also includes a first person account of someone working in shelters to provide assistance to people with disabilities. The account says that people with disabilities were largely neglected.
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(No author).
(1900).
Are You Prepared?.
72hours.org (City of San Francisco).
This cite is not very comprehensive; the topics of interest include: setting up a personal network; personal care assistance; for people who are blind, visually impaired, or hearing impaired; and disaster registry program for seniors and persons w/ disabilities
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(No author).
(1900).
Emergency Preparedness and People with Disabilities.
American Association on Health and Disability.
The manual references websites by category (city government, consumers with various disabilities, consumers with specific disabilities, elderly population, emergency managers and planners, employers, employees, facility managers, first responders) targeted to help certain populations in emergency preparation for persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
The Gulf Coast: Accessible Cities of the Future?.
American Association on Health and Disability.
This cite discusses whether, after Katrina, New Orleans will become accessible because there has been little discussion.
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(No author).
(1900).
Resources on Emergency Evacuation and Disaster Preparedness.
U.S. Access Board.
ADA Design Requirements for Accessible Egress: Resources on Evacuation Planning and Assistive Products; and Resources on Disaster Preparedness.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Advice to States in Helping Hurricane Victims.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children & Families.
This article talks about what ACF is doing to assist the states in helping Hurricane Katrina evacuees. The article points out that ACF is trying to ensure that states do not face any negative consequences for attempting to help out with Katrina evacuees. There is not any information on this website specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
Emergency Planning for People with Disabilities.
LA Protection and Advocacy System.
This documents was prepared by the LA P&A as a checklist or requirements for people with disabilities to prepare for an emergency. It also includes available Parishes and their services.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Housing Information.
LA Protection and Advocacy System.
This document is aimed at providing housing resources for people following Hurricane Katrina.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Hurricane Katrina LA Medicaid Program.
LA Protection and Advocacy System.
This document is set up as a question/answer and discusses Medicaid benefits for people who were evacuated from LA following Hurricane Katrina.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Is Medicaid Ending for LA Evacuees?.
LA Protection and Advocacy System.
This 1-page document discusses accessible FEMA trailers for people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Resources for Persons with Disabilities in LA.
LA Protection and Advocacy System.
This documents includes general resources for persons with disabilities who may be in need of services following Hurricane Katrina, including information on health care, price gouging, insurance, tax refunds and legal assistance.
-
(No author).
(1900).
What About Special Education in Post-Hurricane LA?.
LA Protection and Advocacy System.
This document is organized in a question/answer format and addresses particular special education issues which may have arrived following Hurricane Katrina.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Tips to Access Services.
LA Protection and Advocacy System.
This documents is a list of tips on how to effectively communicate with agencies and organizations to get necessary services.
-
(No author).
(1900).
LA Transportation Resources for People with Disabilities.
LA Protection and Advocacy System.
This documents lists public transportation services available to people with disabilities in LA.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Information Related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita for People with Disabilities.
LA Protection and Advocacy System.
This is a screen capture of a webpage which includes documents and resources for people with disabilities who are need of services following Hurricane Katrina.
-
(No author).
(1900).
A Nationwide Response: The Catholic Charities Network Jumps into Disaster Relief.
Catholic Charities.
This articles talks about the contribution of Catholic Charities to the disaster relief. It cites the specific contributions of some of its agencies. There is not any information specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
Pyramid Parents and Hurricane Katrina: When a Hurricane Hits.
University of Kansas, Beach Center on Disability.
This is a story about a woman and her son with autism found a support group/disability rights group called "Pyramid Parents." It outlines the steps they took to obtain rights for the son. It also outlines the problems in New Orleans before Katrina even hit. Pyramid set up a recovery fund to help people with disabilities recover from Katrina.
-
(No author).
(1900).
2005 Hurricane Relief: Local Agency Recovery Efforts.
Catholic Charities.
This article includes the agencies that were primarily impacted by the Hurricanes and how they have been dealing with it. The agencies are actually located all over the country. There is not any information here specifically pertaining to persons with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
Gulf Coast: accessible cities of the future.
American Association on Health and Disability.
Addresses the building accessibility into homes, public buildings and commercial spaces after the hurricanes.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Minority Serving Institutions.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This is a web page sponsored by DOT that is committed to ensuring the minority populations are receiving fair opportunities and treatments at colleges and universities.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Special Needs Information.
Center for Disability and Special Needs Preparedness.
This web page provides links to products, articles, and other websites that can assist people with disabilities in case of an emergency or in preparation for an emergency.
-
(No author).
(1900).
School-Level Public Counts and Percentages.
LA Department of Education.
The web page is a link to a database that has site-level public studfent "multi-stats" for school year 2005-2006 that shows student relocation/recovery related to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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(No author).
(1900).
Development.
U.S. Department of Labor.
This web page is on the development of emergency planning involving persons with disabilities. It covers how employers can prepared their workplace for people with disabiltiies, evacuation, shelters, etc. No specific mention of the hurricanes.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Societal Changes.
U.S. Department of Labor.
This web site constructed by the Dept of Labor recognizes the need for the safety and welfare of employees and visitors in the work place. This web site discusses the legal considersations, the agency commitments, and critical questions. The web page is not specific to people with disabilities, but it does mention them in regards to the legal considerations that are necessary for ensuring their safety in the work place.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This web page details what the Department of Transportation is doing to help individuals with disabilities prepare and recovery from a disaster. The web page includes links to emergency checklists, transportation guidelines, and details what each committee is doing to help in the hurricane recovery process.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Research Sites.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This web page is the Civil Rights webpage for the Department of Transportation and its provides links to other web sites that could be of use to people. No specific mention of people with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(1900).
People with Disabilities FAQ.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This web page is in a question and answer form regarding people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
Meeting the Needs of Katrina Evacuees.
U.S. Department of Education.
This site talks about the Katrina evacuees, specifically in regards to education. Part of the website mentions the Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Act of 2005. Specifically, the website mentions that almost $26 million in federal funds were made available to the affected states.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Emergency Preparedness/Disaster Resources.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
This is a list of emergency preparedness resources and numbers for the LA area.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Emergency Preparedness.
U.S. Department of Labor: Office of Disability Employment Policy.
DisabilityInfo.gov is a comprehensive online resource designed to provide people with disabilities with quick and easy access to the information they need. With just a few clicks, the site provides access to disability-related information and programs available across the government on numerous subjects, including benefits, civil rights, community life, education, employment, housing, health, technology and transportation.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Research on Accessible Emergency Preparedness.
Disabilitypreparedness.gov.
This website is a resource guide that gives information about accessible emergency evacuations for persons with disabilities. There are six links which refers to various types of disasters.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Emergency Preparedness At Home For People With Disabilities.
Center for Disability and Special Needs Preparedness.
This is a brief checklist for emergency preparedness at home for individuals with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Emergency Preparedness On The Job For People With Disabilities.
Center for Disability and Special Needs Preparedness.
This is a brief checklist for emergency preparedness in the work place for individuals with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(1900).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Office of Inspector General is establishing an Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight to focus on preventing problems through a proactive program of internal control reviews and contract audits to ensure disaster assistance funds are being spent wisely. Reports, press releases, memos and other correspondence, announcements, and supplemental appropriations are given. Each shall be discussed.
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(No author).
(1900).
Working with DHS: Hurricane Katrina Disaster Assistance Contracts FactSheet.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The website has a report of all FEMA Contracts Awarded in Support of Hurricane Katrina Recovery Efforts as of 4/3/2006 (it's a 200-page report), and it lists several other sources for Katrina facts: Hurricane Contracting Information Center, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the General Services Administration, the National Emergency Resource Registry. There are also weekly financial reports from 9/22/2005 to 4/5/2006, as well as press releases from September 2005 to March 2006.
-
(No author).
(1900).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; About the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The website provides two reports of quarterly meetings of the Interagency Coordinating Council (12/15/2004 and 9/20/2004), lists council participants, and names the interagency council subcommittees.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Additional Support for Hurricane-Displaced Students.
U.S. Department of Education.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings convened a group of mental health experts and school officials in October and November for a series of round- table discussions on how to best help students and educators cope with the tragedy. "Our efforts are ongoing, and our support is unwavering to ensure that these children continue to receive a high-quality education and that school officials have the support they need from us under these unique circumstances," said Secretary Spellings. Region that serve them, the Department awarded LA a $20.9 million grant to help reopen charter schools damaged by the hurricanes, create 10 new charter schools, and expand existing charter schools to accommodate disability. Teachers Ask the Secretary a public school teacher who has a bachelor's degree,full state certification and demonstration of subject-matter competency for each core academic subject taught.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Evaluation Report:Engaging Persons With Disabilities in Service.
USA Freedom Corps.
This report, published by the Points of Light Foundation was written as a follow-up to a grant they received to help people with disabilities get engaged in acts of service or volunteering. The report details the number of people involved, the kinds of activities, as well as several personal experiences. There is no connection to hurricane Katrina.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Partnering with Disability Program Navigators.
This PowerPoint was written by DPN to explain what DPN is and what the program does to help individuals with disabilities.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Preparedness for Persons with Mobility Impairments.
Nobody Left Behind2.
This is a powerpoint presentation about the findings of research done by University of Kansas in response to determining if emergency preparedness and response system meet the needs of persons with mobility impairments, use systems to indentify persons with mobility impairments, and develope best practices for emergency preparedness.
-
(No author).
(1900).
United for a Stronger America: Citizens' Preparedness Guide.
MS Office of Homeland Security.
This document only mentions that for emergency preparedness, special emergency plans should be taken for people with disabilities
-
(No author).
(1900).
Preparing Makes Sense. Get Ready Now.
MS Office of Homeland Security.
The document mentions that neighbors should decide who will check on people with disabilities in an emergency situation
-
(No author).
(1900).
Preparing Makes Sense for People with Disabilities and Special Needs.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
This is a guide to preparing for an emergency. It explains how to make a kit of emergency supplies, including medications, medical supplies, personal items, and emergency documents. It also describes how to make a plan for an emergency, including communcation, a support network, evacuation, animals, and fire safety.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Florida Department of Community Affairs 2005 Disaster Recovery Initiative Action Plan addressing Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The paper discusses Florida's response to the hurricanes of 2005. It mentions the funding for the rebuilding of communities as well as the specific actions that the State of Florida took. The paper specifically discusses individuals with disabilities in regards to fair housing as well as permanent special needs shelters.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Katrina Aid Today Fact Sheet.
National Disability Rights Network.
The document provides the mission for the National Disability Rights Network and gives contact information for active NDRN members.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Spreadsheet of Nursing Home Operational Beds.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
A spreadsheet that states where beds are being allocated and how many are in use. No mention of people with disabilities
-
(No author).
(1900).
Hurricane Resouces.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
The paper contains lists of agencies and telephone numbers for hurricane assisstance
-
(No author).
(1900).
Hurricane Education Recovery Act.
U.S. Department of Education.
The document is the statute the Hurricane Recovery Act, a one time act set to help schools in the Gulf Coast area recover from the hurricanes.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Hurricane Preparedness for People with Disabilities or Mobility Limitations.
Disabilitypreparedness.gov.
A guide for people with disabilities and mobility imipairment. Discusses the risks of a hurricane, how and when to evacuate, what people will need to be prepared for an emergency, how to decide whether or not to evacuate, how to create a support network, assemble an emergency kit, information on transportation and shelters.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities and Other Special Needs:Another Look After Katrina.
Disabilitypreparedness.org.
The publication defines who people with disabilities are, the legal requirements to include this population within emergency planning, lists specific measures in order to include people with disabilities in emergency planning.
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(No author).
(1900).
Katrina: Lessons Learned (Powerpoint Presentation).
Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions.
A powerpoint presentation that lists tasks that need to be covered by several agencies in order to be better prepared for disasters and/or emergencies. Discusses evacuations, shelters, communication, technology, types of people needing help, etc.
-
(No author).
(1900).
County Level Disaster Preparedness and Response for Persons with Mobility Impairments: University of Kansas Nobody Left Behind Study.
University of Kansas, Beach Center on Disability.
The map of the US indicates that 30 counties that recently experienced a natural disaster were randomly selected to obtain information about emergency preparedness and recovery for persons with disabilities. The study indicates that FEMA Emergency Planning and Special Needs Course pertaining to people with disabilities appears to be useful in increasing county awareness, although only 27% of county emergency managers reported having taken it; people with disabilities either were not represented or had minimal representation in the emergency planning process; surveillance efforts to identify persons with mobility impairments are weak. Recommendations include improving training, surveillance, inclusion of persons with disabilities, and emergency management plans
-
(No author).
(1900).
Important Information.
Advocacy, Inc.
This document is a one-page handout written in Spanish directing people with disabilities who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina to call Advocacy, Inc.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Report on Special Needs Assessment for Katrina Evacuees (SNAKE) project.
National Organization on Disability.
This report describes the operations, findings, and recommendations of the SNAKE project initiated by N.O.D. The main purpose of this project was to capture time-sensitive data to highlight the impact of Katrina on the special needs population, through direct observation and sampling of experiences. The findings focus on the preparedness of, and problems faced by people with disabilities during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Their observations reveal that the government experienced systemic failures at all levels in their efforts to respond to the needs of the disability and aging populations. The report highlights the major issues involved, and gives recommendations for future planning. The recommendations include seeking out and utilizing the expertise of the disability community, and people with disabilities increasing their familiarity with the emergency protocol. It is hoped that the report will be helpful in addressing immediate challenges and immediate actionable corrections, and will support the review and implementation of corrective actions and new protocols.
-
(No author).
(1900).
Tips for First Responders to: Seniors, People with Service Animals, People with Mobility Impairments, People Who Are Mentally Ill, People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, People Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, and People with Cognitive Disabilities.
New Mexico's Commission on Disability, Center for Development and Disability at the University of New Mexico, Office of Health Emergency Management at the New Mexico Department of Health, and the American Association on Health and Disability.
This document provides an easy-reference overview to some specific information about how to assist/respond to persons with certain disabilities. It provides tips such as: with seniors, always ask the person how you can best assist him/her; for people with service animals, do not treat the animal as a pet--he is working. For people with mobility impairments, always ask the person before attempting assistance because each disability is unique. For persons who are mentally ill, one may not notice mental illness until evacuation has begun--then, ask if the person has mental health issues and then ask if there is any medication that needs to accompany the person. For people with visual impairments, make sure to announce your presence before attempting to help him/her, allow him/her to grasp your arm or shoulder for help, and make sure to indicate any barriers in the line of movement. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, make sure to establish eye contact, use facial gestures, and be patient or ready to employ written communication. For people with cognitive disabilities, the document offers a procedure: say (name, why you're there, what your job is), show (identification, that you are calm and competent), give (extra time, respect, an arm, time to rest), use (short, simple, concise words and sentences, pictures/objects), predict (what, when, and how events will happen), ask for/look for (identification bracelet, essential equipment, medication, contact information, signs of stress), repeat (assurances, encouragement, frequent updates), reduce (distractions), explain (written material, public address systems), share (information about other people who will assist the person).
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(No author).
(1900).
DHS Organization; Department Structure; Office for Hurricane Katrina Oversight; Overview of Office of Inspector General Plans for Hurricane Katrina Oversight.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Office of the Inspector General.
Overview of OIG plans for Hurricane Katrina oversight: FEMA headquarters, Joint Field Offices, Review major contracts and expanded micro-purchase authority, monitor financial controls, review supporting documentation for public assistance projects and o
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(No author).
(1900).
Where Are Friends and Family.
Hurricane Recovery LA.
This website provides information for individuals who have been separated during Hurricane Katrina. Does not specifically address individuals with disability.
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(No author).
(1900).
National Organizations.
Hurricane Recovery LA.
This website briefly provides information about other websites which provides assistance to individuals with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
"Hurricane Katrina Information".
MS Department of Rehabiliation Services.
This document lists phone number and MS agencies (for persons with disabilities): Gulfport VR/VRB/OSDP District Office, AbilityWorks of Harrison Co., VR/VRB Pascagoula Office, Other VR/VRB/OSDP Offices, and the status of these offices after Hurricane Katrina
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(No author).
(1900).
MDH Emergency Preparedness Accomplishments.
MS Department of Health.
Nearly 40 MDH centers are in place around the state to specifically deal with any terrorism related event. Emergency Response Coordinators (ERC’s) are placed in each one of the nine public health districts, and they work with local emergency management agencies and planning officials to prepare and execute emergency plans. Nurses trained in bioterrorism issues and diseases are working in every public health district. A Health Alert Network (HAN) has been developed and put in place to ensure each community has timely access to developing public health related information and access to highly-trained professional personnel for effective public health preparedness, response, and service on a 24/7 basis. new Web site, featuring enhanced emergency preparedness and bioterrorism sections, and a 24/7 information hotline have been launched (this section mentions that there is information to help people with disabilities, but doesn't go into specifics at all).
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(No author).
(1900).
"Emergency Preparation Checklist".
MS Department of Health.
This cite only mentions planning ahead for "prescriptions, pets, and other special needs"
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(No author).
(1900).
Emergency Preparation Checklist.
MS Department of Health.
This cite only mentions planning ahead for "prescriptions, pets, and other special needs"
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(No author).
(1900).
Hurricane Readiness.
MS Department of Health.
This brief document was put out by the MS Department of Health and includes instructions on how to prepare for a weather emergency, food safety, fire hazards, and waterborne illnesses. The document is not specific to people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
Elder Preparation.
MS Department of Health.
This is a document put out by the Florida health department for elders and this issue is specific to disaster preparedness and Hurricane preparedness. The article also mentions hurricane assistance that was made available to seniors during the Hurricane 2004 season. The document also mentions how to prepare and be safe for fire hazards, tornadoes, and lightning and thunderstorms. There is extensive reference to people with special needs.
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(No author).
(1900).
Nobody Left Behind: Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Mobility Impairments.
Nobody Left Behind2.
This is the main web site for the Nobody Left Behind project coordinated by the University of Kansas. Provides links to other publications and research projects. This is for people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
DVP and KDHAP: Key Differences (from Appendix A PIH 2006-12).
National Disability Rights Network.
This is a comparison of benefits available between DVP (Disaster Voucher Program) and KDHAP (Katrina Disaster Housing Assistance Program). Individuals with disabilities are not specifically addressed in this comparison.
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(No author).
(1900).
Disaster Relief Assistance.
National Disability Rights Network.
This site lists specific contact information at larger government agencies of specific relevance to individuals with disabilities. An example of a statement intended to help these individuals: "Victims should be encouraged to include information regard
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(No author).
(1900).
Let's learn from our mistakes before the next disaster strikes.
National Council on Disability.
Article stressing that various government organizations learn from the mistakes of Katrina and implement disaster relief facilities for the disabled
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(No author).
(1900).
Interactive Map of Disability & Emergency Preparedness Resources.
National Organization on Disability.
This website gives the websites for the Emergency Preparedness for the Disabled people.
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(No author).
(1900).
Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI): a program of the National Organization on Disability.
National Organization on Disability.
The Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) is a program launched by the National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) to ensure that disability concerns are addressed by emergency managers and that people with disabilities are included in all levels of e
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(No author).
(1900).
Disaster Mobilization Initiative: Response to September 11th.
National Organization on Disability.
In order to effectively understand and incorporate the needs and resources of people with disabilities in emergency planning, it is important to define what could be expected from them, their organizations, mayors and city managers, government at all lev
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(No author).
(1900).
Disability & Emergency Preparedness Resources: Georgia.
National Organization on Disability.
The National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) has listed resources for disability and emergency preparedness in the state of Georgia. The listings include website links to Red Cross chapters across the state, State and Local EMAs, and Citizen and Loca
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(No author).
(1900).
Relief Organizations.
Hurricane Recovery LA.
This page provides links to agencies that provides assistance to all individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina, and some websites are focused on individuals with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
Support for Caregivers Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rite.
The ARC of LA: Hurricane Recovery.
The web page announces that there will be a meeting for care givers of people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
Housing.
Hurricane Recovery LA.
This website provides information for individuals with disability who need housing.
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(No author).
(1900).
Independent Living.
Hurricane Recovery LA.
This website discusses funds which are being used for individuals with special needs that have lost their items or supplies.
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(No author).
(1900).
Resource for Katrina Evacuees.
Independent Living Research Utilization.
This is a list of resources for evacuees of Hurricane Katrina. The first section is disability specific resources.
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(No author).
(1900).
Special Earned Income Tax Credit Rules.
Internal Revenue Service.
This article explains how the IRS has special rules about the Earned Income Tax Credit in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. There is also information on disability benefits.
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(No author).
(1900).
Hurricane Katrina: LA Disability Information Resource.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
This website is setup to provide information to people with disabilities and their families who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. Individuals impacted by Hurricane Rita will also find useful information on this site. This website is serving as a central location for: LA Developmental Disabilities Council; LA Citizens for Action Now (LaCAN); Families Helping Families of LA; and ARC of LA, all of which serve people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
Information for people with disabilities and their families who have been affected by Hurricane Katrina.
LA Developmental Disabilities Council.
The web page contains information for people with disabilities and their families who have been affected by hurricane katrina. It includes links to further resources for people.
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(No author).
(1900).
Accessing and Maintaining Waiver and Other Medicare Services.
The ARC of LA: Hurricane Recovery.
The web page states that the LA State Health Department will not terminate medicaid care or other health services to those people with disabilities who were displaced outside of LA.
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(No author).
(1900).
FY 2005 Annual Report on Fair Housing.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This annual report on the state of fair housing includes the programs and assistive measures taken by HUD to help people displaced by the hurricane. Individuals with disabilities are taken into detailed account in the report.
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(No author).
(1900).
Fair Housing News.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This one of the fair housing newsletters that published monthly. It has several articles on hurricanes Katrina and Rita but oinly brief mention of people with disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
Recovery and Renewal.
The Governor's Office of Recovery and Renewal, Mississippi.
This cite is a reference to the ways in which Missippi has been providing assistance to Hurricane Katrina survivors. It names individual, family, and financial assistance as the main areas of assistance.
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(No author).
(1900).
Mississippi Community Emergency Response Teams.
MS Office of Homeland Security.
This cite mentions that CERT will install smoke detectors in homes of people with disabilities
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(No author).
(1900).
Information for Evacuees with Disabilities and their Families.
United Cerebal Palsy.
Links to other agency hotlines for hurricane evacuee recovery: FEMA, Red Cross, HHS Crisis, HUD, UCP, and some additional resources (links to additional websites): more specific to region/state and donating to funds
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(No author).
(1900).
Information for Evacuees with Disabilities and their Families.
United Cerebral Palsy.
Links to other agency hotlines for hurricane evacuee recovery: FEMA, Red Cross, HHS Crisis, HUD, UCP, and some additional resources (links to additional websites): more specific to region/state and donating to funds
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(No author).
(1900).
National Disability Rights Network Checklist for UCP Affiliates Providing Disaster Relief.
United Cerebal Palsy.
Very comprehensive cite, including outreach, access to shelters, information and referral, Medicaid, FEMA benefits, keeping families together in shelters, unemployment benefits, food stamps, social security, durable medical equipment, public housing and section 8, other housing issues, education, coordination w/ other disability groups, state legislative needs
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(No author).
(1900).
United Cerebral Palsy Launches Disaster Relief Fund.
United Cerebal Palsy.
Reports that UCP has established a fund to aid in the recovery after Katrina; informs of hotline number;
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(No author).
(1900).
Senior Corps.
USA Freedom Corps.
This web page details some of the USA Freedom corps programs for the elderly/seniors that help people that often have disabilities.
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(No author).
(1900).
Hurricane Response and Recovery.
USA Freedom Corps.
This is a web page on the USA Freedom Corps web page that provides links and information to hurricane response and recovery projects.
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(No author).
(1900).
Nobody Left Behind: Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Mobility Impairments Home Page.
Nobody Left Behind, University of Kansas.
The mission of this research is to investigate 30 randomly selected counties, cities, or boroughs in the United States that have recently experienced a natural or man-made disaster in order to: Determine if disaster plans and emergency response systems for homes, businesses, and the community include the health, safety, and survival needs for persons with mobility impairment; Identify the morbidity and mortality of persons with mobility impairments in these disasters; Assess if there were any post-disaster changes to address the needs of persons with mobility impairments; and Identify emerging or Best Practices models for counties to assist in disaster plans and emergency responses to meet the needs of persons with mobility impairments in hopes of preventing injuries, saving lives, and assuring Nobody is Left Behind. There are links to the research: Grant Abstract; Speak Out (1); Speak Out (2); Secretary Ridge; Speaks Out; Research Team; Findings 01/06; PowerPoint; Presentations 01/06; Advisors; Consumer Survey; Research Sites 12/05; Resources 01/06; Disaster Facts (1) 01/06; Disaster Facts (2); Photo Credits; Contact; and Home: RTC/IL.
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(No author).
(1900).
DisasterHelp, www.disasterhelp.gov: Welcome to DisasterHelp.
DisasterHelp.
This website is a part of the President's Disaster Management Egov Initiative aimed at enhancing disaster management. The Disaster Management initiative aims to create a single Internet-based portal to serve the public's requirement for assistance, and the government's requirement to provide disaster information and services. The site is oriented toward helping users find information and services across a wide range of relevant Disaster Management offerings. The main intended audiences for the site include: (1) Local / State / Tribal Governments, (2) individual Citizens, (3) private sector businesses, (4) non-Government organizations, and (5) Federal agencies. The site does not have a disability focus and does not seem to host many articles relating to people with disabilities and their needs.
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(No author).
(1900).
State Resources: Mississippi.
National Spinal Cord Injury Association.
This website does not include any substantive material on disability. It gives links to Mississippi State websites.
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(No author).
(1900).
Information for Senior and People with Disabilities or Other Special Concerns, Disaster Preparedness for Seniors by Seniors.
American Red Cross.
The cite provides information for seniors and people with disabilities about how to prepare for a disaster; it provides a checklist, as well as well as advice about organizing a disaster kit;
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(No author).
(1900).
Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities.
LA Developmental Disabilities Council.
This is a guide published by the Red Cross for people with disabilities. It goes through a detailed outline of how to do a self-assessment, creating a support network, and personally preparing for a disaster. It includes a disaster supplies checklist and other important lists.
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(No author).
(1900).
Facing a Record Breaking Hurricane Season, Hurricane Season 2005, A Season in Review.
American Red Cross.
The Red Cross mobilized many people to assist in the recovery efforts after hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Wilma.
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Benison, John.
(1900).
Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities.
U.S. Department of Transportation.
This article talks about meeting the transportation needs of persons with disabilities, particularly in the event of an emergency. It explains that the website contains information on preparedness, accessibility, and evacuation methods.
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Blanck, Peter David.
(1900).
Disaster Mitigation for Persons with Disabilities: Fostering a New Dialogue; A report of The Annenberg Washington Program in collaboration with The President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities.
The Annenberg Washington Program.
This collaborative report is meant to stimulate discussion of the issues and search for answers to problems. Although it is based on discussions with many people, it calls for much broader dialogue and research to address issues at the nexus of communications policy and disaster relief for persons with disabilities. Advance preparation is key to helping persons with disabilities survive a disaster.Leaders and experts within the disability community, members of relief organizations, media professionals, and local, state, and federal officials must establish a cooperative relationship to address this shortcoming. The challenges ahead will be overcome only by an ongoing dialogue among these and other groups. Seven key principles should guide this dialogue: (1) accessible disaster facilities and services; (2) accessible communications and assistance; (3) accessible adn reliable rescue communications; (4) partnerships with the media; (5) partnerships with the disability community; (6) disaster preparation, education, and training; and (7) universal design adn implementation strategies. These seven points reflect an emerging consensus about how best to respond to the needs of people with disabilities before, during, and after a disaster.
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Cameron, Carl T.
(1900).
Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities and Other Special Needs: Aother Look After Katrina.
Center for Disability and Special Needs Preparedness.
This brief paper dicusses the impact of both the world trade center disaster as well as the hurricanes of 2005 on individuals with disabilities. The author briefly addresses several issues, including: who are people with special needs, the legal requirements of serving people with disabilities, what local emergency planners can do in an emergency , as well as giving various actions that will better prepare the community and the individuals with disabililties for an ermergency.
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Frieden, Lex.
(1900).
NCD Bulletin January 2006.
National Council on Disability.
In the NCD news bulletin, under the Katrina follow-up section, Frieden will appear in the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson Mississippi as a guest column titled "Involve people with disabilities in relief plans: Let's learn from our mistakes before the next disaster strikes." Additionally, Frieden is named Person of the Year in NewMobility Magazine and has a full story titled "Lex Frieden: Prepared for Disaster."
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Holbrook, Stephanie.
(1900).
Information for Host Families who Will Take in Families with Disabled Children.
The ARC of LA: Hurricane Recovery.
The web page announces that there are reading and educational services available to families who are housing children who are blind or have physical mobility handicaps.
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Joseph, Lorraine.
(1900).
Nursing Home Operational Bed Form.
LA Department of Health and Hospitals.
A nursing home operational bed form
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Julie Nesbit, LA Assistive Technology Access Network.
(1900).
Medical and Assistive Equipment.
The ARC of LA: Hurricane Recovery.
The web page announces that the LATAN ogranization is working to help people with disabilities get the things they need after being displaced by the hurricane. The web page calls for volunteers.
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Kendrick, Kim.
(1900).
No specific Title- A letter.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
This is a letter to organizations in general stating that President Bush signed a bill alloting a Community Development Block Grant for the expenses related to disaster relief and long term recovery and that disability rights groups have access to some of the grant.
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Roth, Marcie.
(1900).
US HSS Centers for Medicaid and Medicare.
The ARC of LA: Hurricane Recovery.
The web page isa letter stating that there is a waiver for all people with disabilities to still continuing receiving Medicaid services even if displaced outside of LA
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White, G.W.;Fox, M.H, Rowland, J.L & Rooney, C.
(1900).
Overview of Research Findings.
Independent Living Research Utilization.
The web site gives an overview of the findings of research done by the University of Kansas for the Nobody Left Behind Project. The web page cites the basic outline of the research as well as gives a listing of the findings of the research. The project was to investigate the level of emergency preparedness for people with mobility impairments at locations were natural or man-made disasters occurred between 1998 and 2003.
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(No author).
(1899).
Catholic Charities Says Volunteers Still Desperately Needed to Clean Up Homes in Gulf Coast Post-Hurricane Katrina.
Catholic Charities.
The web page is an article by Catholic Charities that discusses their volunteer efforts in gutting houses in LA and Mississippi. No mention of persons with disabilties.
