establishing accessible general population shelters appalachian inclusive emergency preparedness...
TRANSCRIPT
Establishing Accessible General Population Shelters
Appalachian Inclusive Emergency Preparedness Conference
Prestonsburg, KentuckyOctober 14 –15, 2011
Karin Ford, MSPS Iowa Department of Public Health
Photo courtesy of FEMA/Patsy Lynch
Overview
• Emergency Management and American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Identifying shelter locations• Temporary modifications• Training shelter staff• Identifying partnerships
Low Hanging Fruit
• Accessible general population shelters can be achieved
• Resource typing• Work with shelter partners• Task accomplished• Keep maintained
911 Society
• Most people don’t have a disaster plan• Unless they work in the field or experienced a
disaster• Dial 911 in an emergency• Don’t make the distinction of large or small, only
immediate – only me• Common belief that emergency responders and
emergency management are the same• Perpetuates the rescue mentality• Maintains routine
Emergency Management and Planning
• Emergency managers attempt to plan for people with access and functional needs
• Become overwhelmed and fall back into routine
• Plan with the infrastructure still in place–We’ll send “them” to the hospital
•Don’t believe they have people with disabilities in their communities
Bringing Access and Functional Needs to the
Planning Table• Takes the scary out of disability planning• Reality disability is a normal part of the
aging process• Quit trying to plan for each specific
disability• Think in terms of food, water, accessible
shelter, communication, and transportation
• Identify resources and partners, don’t try and reinvent
Title II of the ADA and Disaster Planning
• Requires that programs, services and activities directly provided by state and local governments, and third parties must meet access and functional needs
• The ADA also requires making reasonable accommodations to policies practices and procedures when necessary to avoid discrimination
Where to Begin
• Survey sites on current list• Determine desirability• Determine if temporary modifications
can improve accessibility• Resource inventory
Four Main Areas
• Parking• Entrance • Common Areas• Bathroom/shower• Routinely start in the parking lot and
work in• Recommend finding accessible
bathrooms and work out with temporary modifications
Accessible Parking
• Follows ADAAG
Number of Accessible Spaces
• 1 to 25 – 1• 26 to 50 – 2• 51 to 75 – 3• 76 to 100 – 4• 101 to 150 – 5• 151 to 200 – 6• 201 to 300 – 7• 301 to 400 – 8• 401 to 500 – 9• 501 to 1000 – 2 percent of total• 1001 and over – 20 plus 1 for each 100 over 1000
Temporary Parking
• Three stalls = two accessible• Use the middle as an access aisle• Accessible side walk• Close to entrance • Flat surface
Temporary Parking
Orange Cone
• Block access aisle• Easily moved• Temporary
Temporary Upright Signage• Print and laminate• Post on temporary
stand• Post high enough
Ramps
• Can be temporary• Must meet ADA specifications– Not like the photo
• Need Handrails on both sides if– over 6 inches high – 72 inches long
• No ski slopes
Entrance
• Exterior doors follow local fire code• Automatic openers are not required• 32 inch clear opening• Sidewalk leading up to 36 inches• Signage to accessible entrance
Common Areas
• Sleeping• Eating• All goods and services on one level,
unless working accessible elevator• Signage and warning systems
accessible• Quiet room is desirable• Path of travel
Adequate Space
• 40 square feet per person• Generally need 80 square feet for
access and functional needs–Medicots are higher and wider– Service animals
•Reserve wall space – use for stability, ease of transfer
•Near exit
Bathroom/Shower
• Both need to be accessible• Toilet – can use riser to meet minimum height
of 17 – 19 inches• Temporary grab bars, must hold up to
250 lbs• Transfer benches for showers• Handheld or adjust features• Purchase insulation for sink pipes at big box
stores• Soap and towels on counters
Bathroom
Sink
Service Animals• Perform a task to mitigate effects of a disability• Always travel with their human partner• Do not need to be registered or show proof• Can only remove if the service animal posses
a threat or is not housebroke• If you are asked to take the dog, take the leash
not the harness or they will think they are on duty
Photo courtesy of Mary R. Vogt
Medical Shelters
• Must be staffed with doctors, nurses and trained personnel
• Best case scenario, pre-established transfer locations at same level of care before disaster
• Need medical shelters so hospitals are not overwhelmed
Shelter Staff Training
• Understand the anatomy of a disaster• Incident Command• National Incident Management System • How to support people with access and
functional needs in the shelter• Personal/family preparedness• Donations management
Resources
• Maintain a resource list for assistive technology, durable medical equipment, consumable medical goods, medications
• Within the area and out• Identify needs at intake and send to
logistics• Partner with community providers
Resource/Coalition Building In Kentucky
• Search online for community provider associations
• Begin partnership/coalition building• Find experts in the field who can
answer questions• Kentucky Provider Directory• Kentucky Commission on Community
Volunteerism and Service
Lessons Learned from Emergency Managers
• Plan for separate shelters – mobility, low to no hearing, low to no vision
• Have to pay for modifications of shelter
• Liability• Find one that is receptive, the rest
will follow
I Wish It Were This Easy
Take Away
• Stop planning for disability specific• Plan using the access and functional
needs approach• Establish partnerships with providers• Educate each other• Everyone has something to offer
How Am I Going to Remember All This?
• ADA Homepage has toolkits and checklists http://ada.gov/shleterck.htm
• FNSS Guidance• Department of Justice technical assistance
(800) 514-0301 voice• Call me
Questions?/Contact Information
Karin FordIowa Department of Public HealthLucas State Office Building321 E. 12th StreetDes Moines, Iowa [email protected]