Including Disabled Employees During National Disaster Preparedness Month
September is nationally recognized as National Disaster Preparedness Month to highlight the importance of being prepared when disaster strikes. With the COVID-19 pandemic, historic wildfires, and hurricane season all happening simultaneously, now more than ever it is important to remember to create disaster preparedness plans that include disabled people. Disability disaster preparedness, like all accessibility and inclusion measures, requires time, thought, and care.
Here are five strategies for how to include employees with disabilities in disaster preparedness efforts:
- Create an Occupant Emergency Plan for your building in collaboration with disabled people.
Occupant Emergency Plans outline what steps occupants of a facility will take during an emergency. OEPs are usually developed and implemented by the tenants of a facility and help foster a sense of order and preparedness when an emergency happens. Developing a facility’s OEP in collaboration with people with disabilities will ensure that the needs of the disabled people who work in or patron the building are met.
- Offer opportunities for employees to voluntarily self-identify as people with disabilities.
It is important to know if your employees will need accommodations or access support in the event of an emergency. Offering an opportunity for employees to self-identify as a person that requires assistance in disaster scenarios will help employers to adequately plan ahead. Note: Do not assume that because a person has disabilities that they need extra help. People with disabilities often already know exactly what support they will, or will not, need in a crisis situation.
- Provide emergency information to all employees in a timely manner.
In emergency situations, people with disabilities are often the last to receive essential updates, especially Deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and visually impaired individuals. To prevent this, give all employees, with and without disabilities, emergency updates at the same time. Be mindful of access to ASL interpreters.
- Create emergency contact forms.
Do you know who to call if one of your employees has a crisis in the workplace? Having emergency contact information on hand will assure not only that your employee’s needs are adequately addressed, but also that their wishes are respected. It may not always be necessary, for example, to call an ambulance when thinking through disaster preparedness.
- Plan ahead for accessible transportation.
Whereas many people without disabilities can use a car to make a quick getaway when a crisis strikes, this is not an option for many disabled people with mobility aids. Working with local wheelchair accessible transportation services, such as Paratransit, is one option that may help employees with physical disabilities get to safety.
What disability disaster preparedness measures does your company have in place to support disabled employees and patrons this National Disaster Preparedness Month?
