Transcript Community Based Emergency Response Seminar: Preparing for

Community Based Emergency
Response Seminar:
Preparing for All Abilities
Spring 2007
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Communication Challenges
Deaf
Late-Deafened
Hard of Hearing
DeafBlind
Speech-impaired
“Out of the Loop” on Emergency Preparedness Activities
Need emergency information in both
auditory and visual form
Need to be included in emergency planning
activities
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Individual Preparedness
Alerts
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Text alerts to pagers, PDAs, cell phones, email (ex.
Emergency-e, RoamSecure)
Television with captioning
Internet (news websites)
Telephone (R-911 type systems)
Buddy system with neighbor
NOAA weather radio
Regular radio – can ask a hearing person to tell you
information (captioned radio under development)
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Individual Preparedness
Go Kits: Tailored to the Consumer’s Needs
 Batteries
or chargers for PDA, pager, cell
phone, Text Messenger
 Portable TTY and/or amplifier for phone
 Assistive Listening devices
 Batteries: Hearing Aid, CI & other
 Spare Hearing Aid, CI charger
 Notepad & pen
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Challenges with Evacuations
How do consumers learn about evacuations?
 Visual
communication via text or sign language:
computers, captioned television, text messages
or sign language interpreters
 Text alerts and/or “R9-1-1” type phone calls
 Special needs NOAA radios with alerting
devices
 Door to door canvassing
 Direct work in the community by emergency
responders and managers
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Challenges with Evacuation
Advance information not always
accessible / captioned
Adequate and Accessible Public
Transportation
Announcements of available
transportation modes
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Challenges with Shelters
Identifying the communication needs of
consumers: focus on the functional
 Can
you hear & understand announcements
on the public address system?
 Can you read and write in English?
 Do you need a sign language interpreter?
 Do you need WRITTEN announcements?
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Challenges with Shelters
Prepare for visual communication
 Use
white/blackboards, bulletin boards,
postings
 Contract in advance with sign language
interpreters, CART, computer notetakers
 Obtain accessible telecommunications
equipment
 Obtain and know how to use assistive
listening system(s)
 Have signage re: accommodations available
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Challenges with Shelters
Shelter staff are often unfamiliar with service
dogs, particularly hearing dogs, and that
they are to be provided for under the ADA
 Prepare
for the accommodation of service
dogs in advance
 Train staff & volunteers to recognize service
dogs
 Have signage / announcements that make it
clear service dogs are welcome
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Challenges with Evacuations
What’s needed?
Accessible public information
Accessible public transportation
 Not EVERYONE drives
Training of responders
Consumer involvement in planning and
drills
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Planning: Where do we go from here?
GET INVOLVED ! ! ! !
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CERT, Red Cross training, join in emergency
drills w/ local Emergency Management
Contact 9-1-1 Center and register
Encourage consumers involvement in “Special
Needs Committees” and Advisory Boards
Urge local non-profits to join VOAD
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Provide training in communication access
to emergency responders
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Educate public information officers &
broadcasters to ensure that emergency
messages are captioned, sign language
interpreters are in the broadcast picture
“BEST PRACTICES Guide”
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Emergency Management / Red Cross
Contract with interpreters / interpreter
agencies in advance for shelters and other
area, such as police stations, public
information centers.
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Work toward pre-placement of equipment for
shelters:
 assistive
listening devices
 visual alerting devices
 display boards – blackboards, white
boards, bulletin boards
 pen & paper
 TTY’s and amplified phones if phones
are provided in the shelter
 Televisions for captioned news updates
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-Afterwards RECOVERY
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Recovery efforts must actively include
non-profit organizations that have
expertise in the needs of the different
disability communities
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Public announcements and information
regarding recovery work must be delivered
in an accessible (VISUAL) manner
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Deaf & Hard of Hearing
Services Center, Inc.
Betti Thompson, Executive Director
[email protected]
Drema Bagley, Outreach Specialist
[email protected]
2030 Colonial Avenue, SW
Roanoke, VA 24015
1-800-552-7917
Voice / TTY / Videophone
www.deafhh.org
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