During a crisis, what are the problems challenging first responders in rescuing people with disabilities?

Do the nation's 54-million-people with disabilities know what to do during an emergency?

Research reveals that Americans with disabilities are not well-prepared for emergencies. A National Organization on Disability (www.nod.org)/Harris Poll survey commissioned in November 2001 discovered that 58 percent of people with disabilities did not know whom to contact about emergency plans in their community. Some 61 percent had not made plans to quickly and safely evacuate their homes. And among those who were employed, 50 percent said that no plans had been made to safely evacuate their workplaces. All of these percentages were higher than for people without disabilities.

The survey discovered that people with disabilities were far more anxious about their personal safety than people without disabilities. Eighteen percent of those with disabilities were extremely or very anxious, compared with just eight percent of the non-disabled population. Another 44 percent of people with disabilities were somewhat anxious.

Well, more than two-and a half-years after 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 a new Harris Interactive survey commissioned by the N.O.D. ( www.nod.org ).

The survey stated in the event of a terrorist attack, natural disaster, or other crisis, only 44 percent of people with disabilities say they know whom to contact about emergency plans for their community. Just 39% have made plans to evacuate quickly and safely from their homes.

Concerned about meeting the needs of people with disabilities during an emergency, TVWorldwide.com, announced that its HomelandDefenseTV channel (www.homelanddefensetv.com) will webcast the first of a series of town meetings on April 30, 1:00 p.m.

“Part of our program includes discussing the establishment of a curriculum to train first responders,” says Dave Gardy, CEO of the Chantilly, Virginia based TVWORDLWIDE.COM. The webcast will originate from the studios of TV Worldwide in Chantilly.

The panel includes Eric L. Qualkenbush, Director of School of Environmental and Emergency Center for Terrorism Preparedness (http://seem.findlay.edu), Michael L. Webber, Adjunct Instructor and Consultant at the University of Findlay's Center for Terrorism Preparedness, and Bill Brobst, Adjunct Instructor at University of Findlay's School of Environmental and Emergency Management and Ms. Elizabeth Davis, consultant to the National Organization on Disability for its Emergency Preparedness Initiatives (EPI) will also serve on the panel. Gardy is the moderator.

Daniel Sutherland, Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, Department of Homeland Security has been invited to discuss DHS's plans to assist people with disabilities during a crisis.

The panel will discuss EPI's two objectives. The first is to make sure that the special needs of people with disabilities are adequately addressed prior to an emergency to minimize the adverse impact on them and their communities. This enables emergency responders to make informed decisions for the best use of available resources during emergencies.

The second initiative is to ensure that people with disabilities are included in the emergency planning process at all levels of government and the private sector so they can offer their insights, knowledge, and resourcefulness. “People with disabilities can contribute greatly to the effectiveness of local emergency management planning,” said Davis .

An astonishing one-fifth of the U.S. population has a disability. Take the population of any community and divide by five. The result approximates the number of residents with disabilities in that community. However, some communities will have a larger or smaller proportion of citizens with disabilities.

The panel will look at how these disabilities breakdown? For example,

“These figures reflect the range of issues that need to be taken into account in developing and carrying out emergency plans,” says Qualkenbush.

The panel will mention that mobility limitations, for example, make it difficult to climb up and down stairs or to move quickly over long distances. Vision impairments can impede the reading of signs or leaving a building. Hearing limitations could prevent one from following warnings or instructions. Speech impediments can pose serious communications challenges. And a variety of mental disabilities might impair an individual's ability to appreciate or respond to an emergency.

According to N.O.D., as valuable as they are, statistics give emergency planners only a superficial impression of the impact of disability during an emergency.

Prior Planning Prevents Catastrophes

History shows that previous planning prevents injuries and the lost of life among people with disabilities. While tremendous destruction and loss of life occurred as a result of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington , D.C. on September 11, 2001, some individuals with disabilities survived these attacks because of advanced plans.

For example, after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, at the suggestion of the local emergency management office, The Associated Blind (a local service provider for low- and no-vision clients) worked with the New York City Fire Department to develop a building evacuation plan and drill for their staff, most of whom have limited or no vision. The Associated Blind wanted a plan for their staff members covering the range of problems that could occur during a disaster. On September 11, their efforts paid off. The entire staff calmly and safely evacuated their building's 9th floor, a success they attribute directly to the customized advance planning and drills.

Also on September 11, a wheelchair user who worked on the 68th floor of the World Trade Center was safely carried from the building, thanks to a specialized chair purchased after the 1993 bombing. A Port Authority of New York and New Jersey employee escaped from the 70th floor because his prosthetic leg allowed him to keep pace with non-disabled workers on the emergency stairs - and, he says, because of experience gained in the building's frequent fire drills since 1993.

During the attack on the Pentagon, equipment previously installed to help employees and visitors with low or no vision to evacuate the facility in the event of an emergency made it possible for dozens of sighted individuals to flee the smoke-filled corridors as well.

Even though there are success stories, people with disabilities should not be lulled into euphoria. “We must still educate citizens with disabilities about realistic expectations of service during and after an emergency even while demonstrating a serious commitment to their special needs. Such education results in a more cooperative relationship with local authorities and enhances their appreciation of the concerns of people with disabilities. It also leads to improved response by the entire community,” says N.O.D.'s President Alan Reich.

One of the topics covered during the show will be identifying people with disabilities in the community who might have special needs before, during and after a disaster or emergency. Doing so ahead of time results in an improved emergency plan, a better determination of resource needs, and more informed actions and decisions.

The audience should have the latest version of either Windows Media Player or Real Video Player installed prior to the event and should log on by 12:45 PM (ET) on April 30th. The live webcast will be made available as an archived file, shortly thereafter and will be hosted for one full year at HomelandDefenseTV.com and at AT508.com.

To assist deaf watchers, the program will be captioned.

The Homeland Defense TV channel was recently launched in partnership with Homeland Defense Journal, Homeland Defense Radio and The University of Findlay's Center for Terrorism Preparedness.

The Center for Terrorism Preparedness was instituted in 1999 as an outgrowth of other emergency response training conducted at Findlay . Its mission is developing integrated training programs that will assist communities in the preparation for, response to, and recovery from possible terrorist incidents and comparable natural disasters.

Headquartered in Washington , DC , N.O.D. works with business leaders, corporations, associations, and schools to improve work opportunities for Americans with disabilities, who are employed at dramatically lower rates than able-bodied indivuals. N.O.D. also helps employers explore disability as a workplace diversity issue, and disability-related marketing.