The
National Capitol Region Disability
Preparedness Initiative is
designed to implement a series of activities that will enhance ongoing
UASI emergency planning in the National Capital Region by incorporating
into it new preparedness planning for individuals with disabilities and
other special needs. Building an enhanced and sustainable
preparedness and response capacity for the NCR should include the 20% of
our fellow citizens who have disabilities that may limit their ability
to hear or see warnings, to leave their home, or to care for themselves.
The proposed activities will contribute to meeting UASI objectives.
The ongoing jurisdictional assessments
and development of an urban area security strategy will be more complete
if they explicitly include those NCR residents who are most vulnerable
to terrorist attack. People with disabilities and other special needs
can contribute to developing and implementing programs by bringing to
working groups first hand reports of the evacuation and sheltering
problems they face, and their skills and experience in overcoming
obstacles. Agencies, organizations and groups involved with disability
issues can make a major contribution to increasing coordination and
networking that will benefit everyone in the NCR in the event of
terrorist attack or other threat. A coordinated regional effort to
include persons with disabilities in planning for prevention, response
and recovery will make best use of scarce resources, ensure regional
consistency, and engage more people in UASI efforts.
For people with disabilities
to be covered by response plans and contribute to developing plans a
number of interlocking activities are needed, all of which supplement
and will be coordinated with existing NCR UASI efforts. The Disability
Preparedness Center (DPC), working with all jurisdictions in the NCR,
proposes to undertake the following planning
activities:
