AAA

1. Knowledge Database
• Slide Presentation for the lecture of: Susan Wolf-Fordham
University of Massachusetts Medical School, USA
• Topic of lecture: Emergency Planning for and with Individuals
with Disabilities: Stakeholder Education and Collaborative
Inclusive Emergency Planning Models
• The lecture was given at Beit Issie Shapiro’s 6th International
Conference on Disabilities - Israel
• Year: 2015

2. Emergency Planning for and With
Individuals with Disabilities:
Stakeholder Education and Collaborative
Inclusive Emergency Planning Models
Sue Wolf-Fordham, J.D.
Nancy Shea, J.D., MPA
E.K. Shriver Center, University of MA Medical School, USA
Beit Issie Shapiro 6th International Conference on Disabilities
July 6-9, 2015, Tel Aviv, Israel

4. | |
Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
• Equal access to emergency services
• Services delivered in the most integrated setting
appropriate to needs
• “Reasonable modifications” required unless they would
fundamentally alter the nature of the program, service
or activity, or impose undue financial or administrative
burdens
• No charge for reasonable modifications
• No ”one size fits all”

5. | |
Access, Equity and Public Health
Issues:
 Inaccessible emergency warnings,
alerts
 Abandoned during evacuation
Inaccessible/refused emergency shelter
services
Separated from vital supports: service
animals, adaptive equipment, family
members, caregivers, social networks
Results:
Lost access to health care and social
services
Medical conditions worsened, or new
needs developed due to event
Lost independence
C. Rooney, Photographer.
Retrieved
from:www.naccho.org/topics
/HPDP/upload/HurricaneKa
trinaReport.pdf

6. | |
• 45 min., 1 hr., 90 min. in-person workshops
• Audience: Adults with intellectual & developmental
disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injury
• Focus: Likely participant experiences & taking key steps
• Design: Collaboration with self-advocate who leads training
• Related resources: “Jeopardy”- style game; Emergency
Smarts checklist; To go bag list
• Over 1000 people in MA, RI, DE trained
Self-Advocate Education

7. | |
How do cities, towns and counties share information about
emergencies and disasters?
From Emergency Smarts

8. Parent Education
• 3 hr. in-person pilot training (N=39)
• Audience: Parents of children w/ disabilities, SHCN
• Design: Collaboration w/ parents & responders
• Focus: “What if thinking and planning” & sharing “Need to
know” info
• Evaluation: Significant knowledge gains and high satisfaction;
feasible to complete ¾ written plan during training
• Translation for dissemination in Japan

9. Emergency Information Form

10. | |
Inclusive Emergency Planning Meeting:
Community Stakeholder Meeting (CSM)
• Responder training = 3 hr. in-person training
• CSM= 3 hr. in-person planning meeting—learning by doing
• Audience: Responders (defined broadly), disability community
• Design: Strong stakeholder collaboration
• Workbook: Guides local CSM process
• Evaluation:
• 100% localities (N=21) id at least 5 gaps, 100% developed
strategies to close gaps
• Significant increase in responder knowledge
• 95% (N=70) of disability community participants reported
increased motivation to take additional preparedness steps

11. | |
Lessons Learned
• Two cultures: Disability community and responders
• Education: Awareness raising + facts + actionable
knowledge
• Stakeholder engagement in program design enhances
usability and satisfaction
• Project development itself builds inclusion and awareness
• Inclusive emergency planning builds on disability
community strengths and enhances community resilience
• Systems change as the ultimate goal: Equity for the
disability community and efficiency for responders

12. For More Information
Sue Wolf-Fordham, J.D.
Susan.Wolf-Fordham@umassmed.edu
(774) 455-6542
UMass Medical School
E.K. Shriver Center
465 Medford St., Suite 500
Charlestown, MA 02129 USA
http://shriver.umassmed.edu/community-
resources/emergency-preparedness-and-response