People with Disabilities and Special Needs Disaster Preparedness ResourcesChampaign County Emergency Management Agency is committed to assisting all citizens affected during a disaster especially those with disabilities and special needs. Preparing for and responding to a disaster is a challenge. Preparing for an emergency is even more challenging if you have a disability or an access need. During an emergency, you can get information from emergency service and other officials and instructions for how to take cover or shelter. After an emergency, make sure you and those in your home are safe. If you need assistance, call for help and follow instructions and guidance given to you. Emergency service officials can give you information on shelter, transportation, and other emergency-related information. There are many tips for individuals with disabilities. From ready.gov, here are steps to take:
You can also sign up for the Premise Alert Program. The Illinois Premise Alert Program is a program to provide first responders (such as police, firefighters, and paramedics) with vital information for people who have unique needs. The Illinois Premise Alert Program provides a way for a 911 call center to accept information about people with disabilities and share that information with police, firefighters and paramedics in an emergency. To be more prepared during an emergency, you and your care giver can “follow us” on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook to receive information on preparedness and emergency situations. We want you and your care giver to be informed. Our contact information is located under the "Main Menu" tab.
Here are some resources that may assist you and your care giver in preparing for disasters and emergencies: Video:Preparing Makes Sense for People with Disabilities and Other Access and Functional Needs American Sign Language Videos: Together We Prepare https://www.illinois.gov/ready/multi-media/Pages/AmerSign.aspx
Emergency Preparedness Tips for Those with Access and Functional Needs:https://www.illinois.gov/ready/SiteCollectionDocuments/PreparednessTips_FunctionalNeeds.pdf Websites of Interest:Ready.gov Ready Illinois Weather Radio for Hearing Impaired http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/dhh_safety.html#.VgAg0rdOXcu Preparedness for People with Disabilities Preparedness for Seniors & the Disabled American Red Cross Preparedness for People with Disabilities
Mobile Apps of Interest:FEMA Mobile App The FEMA mobile App also has a Disaster Reporter feature, allowing you to take and submit GPS photo reports of disasters so they can be displayed on a public map for others to view. NOAA Mobile App Show Me: A Communication Tool for Emergency Shelters Tornado App: American Red Cross The Autism Help App assists individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and other disabilities to communicate and regulate in emergency situations. Using the book: The Incredible 5-Point Scale TM by authors Kari Dunn Buron and Mitzi Curtis, AAPC Publishing, this app helps individuals act, react and interact quickly in emergency situations. With a touch of a screen information is provided and can help facilitate interactions for a “safe” outcome for both the individual and 1st responder. |
|