NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release

Contact: Dr. Carl T. Cameron, 202.338.7158 x 201

National Capitol Region Disability Preparedness Initiative:

Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning

February 2, 2005, Washington DC – The Disability Preparedness Center was chosen by the National Capital Region (NCR) Council of Governments (COG) to incorporate individuals with disabilities and other special need groups in the region’s emergency planning efforts.  Funds for the National Capitol Region Disability Preparedness Initiative have been provided by the NCR COG through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Grant, Fiscal Year 2004 Urban Areas Security Initiative.

A Harris Interactive survey published in January 2004 indicates that “more than two years after the terrorist attacks focused national attention on the importance of planning ahead for disasters, Americans with disabilities remain insufficiently prepared and are anxious about their safety.”  According to Dr. Carl T. Cameron, president of the not-for profit Disability Preparedness Center (www.disabilitypreparedness.org), emergency preparedness planning too often gives inadequate attention to people with disabilities, despite the good intentions of first responders, planners and responsible public officials.

There is an estimated 400,000 to 900,000 people in the NCR who have a disability, with nearly 20% of these individuals with serious disabilities.  “Some people with disabilities will be more vulnerable than a non-disabled person in an emergency,” Dr. Carl T. Cameron said. “For plans to be effective, persons with disabilities need to be included in the planning process as well.  By bringing people with disabilities into the planning process, we can all learn how to be better prepared, and as a result feel less anxious and more empowered.”

Major activities that will be undertaken in this initiative include a needs assessment, the establishment of an NCR Disability Advisory Committee, skills development training for first responders, community demonstration projects and emergency simulations, a public information campaign, and a NCR conference on disability preparedness.

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Carl T. Cameron, Ph.D. is president of the Disability Preparedness Center in Washington DC, a not-for-profit organization focused on helping ensure that all individuals are included in the development of plans for protection from both natural and man-made emergencies.