Image of DCAB Logo
State of Hawaii
January/February 2014
  Issue 35
Image of 2014 Happy New Year with a clock and balloons
Emergency Preparedness E-News

for People with Disabilities and other Access and Functional Needs
Recent Activities
 

The October 11, 2013 issue of "Disability Scoop" reported that emergency plans are lacking for most people with disabilities.  The United Nations conducted the first of it's kind survey and found that only twenty percent (20%) of the world's people with disabilities are prepared to evacuate immediately without difficulty in the event of a disaster.   

The survey of 22 questions about plans in case of an emergency was administered to 5,450 people with disabilities from 126 countries. Preliminary findings were released mid- October prior to the International Day for Disaster Reduction on Sunday, October 12, 2013.

Margareta Wahlstrom, head of the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction reported that survey results were shocking. "Ms. Wahlstrom said, "It clearly reveals that the key reason why a disproportionate number of disabled persons suffer and die in disasters is because their needs are ignored and neglected by the official planning process in the majority of situations. They are often left totally reliant on the kindness of family, friends and neighbors for their survival and safety."

From the survey, only seventeen percent (17%) of respondents were aware of the disaster management plan for their city and a few had been consulted on their community plan. Approximately seventy percent (70%) of polled individuals indicated they had no personal preparedness plan and only one third said they had someone available to assist them to evacuate.

Results from the survey will be used as a starting point when the 2015 World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction is convened in Japan to adopt a new global framework for disaster risk reduction. Review the article in the "Disability Scoop" -  http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2013/10/11/emergency-lacking-disabilities/18796/.

In Hawaii, we grow up and embrace the ohana or family, and leave no one behind. We need to include people with disabilities in all aspects of emergency management, beginning with planning at the community level. We can't do it alone, and must include everyone in order to obtain feedback from the whole community. Let's begin that work in 2014.

Photo of Debbie and Emergency Prep Dog

Happy New Year! 
 
Debbie Jackson
Planner 
In This Issue
Join our Mailing List!
Quick Links
UpcomingUpcoming Events
FSBS Booth at Ewa Fair
The year has just begun, and there are several activities scheduled already to help us prepare in the new year. This is an excellent time to check your "Go Kits" to replenish and rotate supplies. Also the theme for "Prepared in 2014" is to connect with family and friends to ensure that our emergency preparedness plans include our loved ones. Studies have shown that people with strong social connections tend to be healthier and more resilient.
 
Information from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) suggests that we work as a family unit and build an emergency supply kit together, if you don't have one ready yet. There are various websites that provide lists of what to include and you should remember to include personal items that you need for your own kit.

Attend one of these upcoming events to get ideas about how to prepare for an emergency:

Northshore Disaster Preparedness Community Fair
Saturday, March 8, 2014
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
Haleiwa/Sunset Beach LDS Chapel

Kaneohe/Waimanalo Community Disaster Preparedness Fair
Saturday, April 26, 2014
9:00 am to 1:00 pm
LDS Chapel, 41-972 Oluolu Street in Waimanalo

For more information, contact Crystal van Beelen, Disaster Preparedness Officer at the City and County of Honolulu's Department of Emergency Management at (808) 723-8956 or e-mail her at cvanbeelen@honolulu.gov.
WebinarEmergency Preparedness Webinar
Image of ADA National Network Logo
On January 8, 2014, the ADA National Network hosted a webinar titled "Oakland California's Journey from Emergency Management Defendant to Model City for Inclusionary Practices." Webinar presenters were June Isaacson Kailes a Disability Policy Consultant, Christine Calabrese the ADA Programs Manager of the City of Oakland, Renee Domingo the Emergency Services Manager of the City of Oakland and Lorraine Rosenblatt a Commissioner on the Mayor's Commission on Persons with Disabilities in the City of Oakland. The City of Oakland was involved in a lawsuit in 2009 regarding its emergency management policies, practices and procedures not meeting the needs of people with disabilities and other access and functional needs (PAFN).

 

The webinar was very insightful and provided information about how Oakland engaged a wide group of stakeholders to transform their perspective and learn to include a framework that includes PAFN. The key to the success of Oakland's planning efforts was the inclusion of PAFN in all phases of the planning and implementation of the program. The City's willingness to communicate with, learn from and share with PAFN about how to improve emergency management planning and response programs was another important factor in the development of model practices that now include PAFN in emergency shelters and service provision.

Hawaii has been working on similar goals and outcomes for statewide emergency management since 2005 with our "Interagency Action Plan for the Emergency Preparedness of People with Disabilities and Special Health Needs," so it was encouraging to see how these practices have worked in other locations. The webinar has been archived. If you have access to a computer, you can listen to it at http://www.adaconferences.org/Emergency/Archives/. There have been several webinars related to emergency management and PAFN. Each webinar is 90 minutes long, and can be reviewed at this archive for no cost.

For more information or to be informed of future webinars, contact Debbie Jackson at (808) 586-8121 or by e-mail at debbra.jackson@doh.hawaii.gov.
VideoDisaster & Preparedness Video
Thank you to Marc Nishimoto from Maui for sharing this link. It's about Disaster & Preparedness and uses a different approach to the topic. It runs less than three (3) minutes. The captions are incorrect in a few places, but you will get the main idea of the video.

 

View the video by clicking on the following link:

FEMAFEMA Position Announcements
Image of FEMA logo

FEMA's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination is growing and would appreciate your help in disseminating this announcement regarding the Disability Integration Advisors - AD-0301-00 and Disability Integration Advisors - (American Sign Language Specialty) - AD-0301-00 position vacancies within FEMA's Reservist Program. As a part of FEMA's disaster workforce, Reservists serve the nation by assisting all citizens and first responders during disasters or emergency situations.  As a Reservist you will have the opportunity to train, gain experience, and become qualified in a specific disaster role.  Being a Reservist allows you to assist in the coordinated response and recovery efforts of impacted citizens, communities, Local, Tribal, and State governments.  These FEMA Reservist vacancies are being advertised on USAJOBS.gov from Friday, January 31, 2014 to Thursday, February 6, 2014.  Feel free to forward this message to everyone you think would be interested in applying for one of these positions within FEMA.  For complete information regarding this position, please follow the link below to the vacancy announcements on USAJOBS.GOV.


FEMA - Disability Integration Advisor - (Open to United States Citizens) - https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/360674200

FEMA - Disability Integration Advisor - (American Sign Language Specialty) - (Open to United States Citizens) - https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/360625100.
Contact Information:                                                                      
 
Color State Seal of Hawaii
Disability and Communication Access Board                                    
       
919 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 101
Honolulu, HI 96814
Phone: (808) 586-8121 (V/TTY)
FAX: (808) 586-8129
E-mail:  DCAB General Delivery
Website: DCAB Home Page

Call toll free from Neighbor Islands:
County of Hawaii:  (808) 974-4000, ext. 6-8121#
County of Kauai:   (808) 274-3141, ext. 6-8121#
County of Maui:    (808) 984-2400, ext. 6-8121#
Molokai & Lanai:   1-800-468-4644, ext. 6-8121#