About

Emergency Preparedness

Emergency preparedness is a major focus of activity for DCAB’s Planning and ADA Coordination Unit.

Recent events with Hurricanes Katrina, Wilma and Rita have shown that government response systems and plans inadequately address the needs of persons with disabilities. Hawaii State Civil Defense, the DCAB, and the State Department of Health convened a workgroup to develop a plan to address emergency preparedness for people with disabilities in the State of Hawaii .

The workgroup, comprised of State, county and private agencies, developed the “2007 Interagency Action Plan for Emergency Preparedness of Persons with Disabilities and Special Needs.”

This plan is a starting point and addresses the defined targeted population with a focus on sheltering. Emergency preparedness information for persons with disabilities is available at the links below.

You can link to the following resources via:
http://www.hawaii.gov/health/dcab/emergencyprep/

Hawaii Resources

* State of Hawaii 2007: Interagency Action Plan on Emergency Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities
Text Version | Print Version
* State Civil Defense Information for Persons with Disabilities
* American Red Cross, Hawaii Chapter, Information for People with Disabilities
* Hawaii Disability Rights Center Emergency Preparedness Forms

National Resources

* Emergency Preparedness
* DOJ ADA Best Practices Toolkit for State and Local Government – Chapter 7
* Nobody Left Behind
* ADA – Emergency Preparedness
* Ready.gov
* FEMA – Individuals with Special Needs
* Administration on Developmental Disabilities Disaster Preparedness
* disAbility Preparedness

What: Emergency Preparedness of Persons with Disabilities and Special Health Needs Workshop will be held on five sites across the State of Hawai`i

Why: To review and identify emergency preparedness needs for people with disabilities and special health needs specific to each county in the State

Who: Key representatives from each county, to provide feedback about how to encompass statewide needs of persons with disabilities and special health needs into an updated Interagency Action Plan on Emergency Preparedness

Cost: None*

The current Plan is found on the home page of the Disability and Communication Access Board at www.hawaii.gov/health/dcab/interagencyplan/index.htm. Please review the information before attending the workshop.

Workshop sponsors and planners:

• Centers for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement*

• State Disability and Communication Access Board

• State Council on Developmental Disabilities

• State Civil Defense

• American Red Cross

*Provided Funding Sponsorship to Cover Cost of Workshop