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Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC)

Integrating and coordinating emergency preparedness, response and recovery for children and adults with disabilities and others with access and functional needs before, during and after a disaster. (PDF 2MB, TXT 14KB)

Marcie Roth, Director

Belief

When communities integrate the needs of children and adults with disabilities and others with access and functional needs into their community wide planning initiatives, they maximize resources, meet their obligations and strengthen their ability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.

Mission

In accordance with Federal civil rights laws and regulations, provide guidance, tools, methods and strategies to integrate and coordinate emergency management inclusive of individuals with access and functional needs.

Preparedness Resources

Guidance on Planning for Integration of Functional Needs Support Services in General Population Shelters (PDF 7.31MB TXT 467KB)
Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101 Version 2.0 (PDF 1.9MB, TXT 640KB)
Preparedness Resources for Individuals
Preparedness Resources for Communities
Tools for Communicating With All Audiences, Including People with Disabilities

Apply for Assistance

Online
Phone: (800) 621-3362
(TTY) 1-800-462-7585
Info FEMA Needs From You
FAQ’s on Federal Disaster Aid in American Sign Language

Other Disaster Resources

ODIC News

11/18/2011: The “Getting Real II” Promising Practices in Inclusive Emergency Management for the Whole Community video webcast is now available. This 3 day training conference focused on building partnerships and sharing promising practices. This Conference-On-Demand webcast has over 40 best practices in inclusive emergency management from across the country. You will hear from local, regional, state and federal emergency managers, disability community advocates and educators at all levels. Each video can be shared and all presentations are downloaded via PDF and TXT files. Click on the following link to view gettingreal-ii.webcaston.tv/
FIRST NATIONWIDE TEST OF THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM
Test to Take Place November 9, 2011 at 2 p.m. ET

FEMA wants everyone to know about the upcoming Emergency Alert System (EAS) test and how it may impact them. Please share this message with your communities and through your social networks.

As part of our larger efforts to strengthen our nation’s preparedness and resiliency, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct the first nation-wide test of the Emergency Alert System on November 9th, at 2 p.m. ET. Testing the Emergency Alert System plays a key role in evaluating and improving the systems we need in place to ensure our nation is prepared for all hazards and that people within its borders are able to receive critical and vital information through the system, should it ever be needed. It’s important to keep in mind that this is not a pass or fail test of the Emergency Alert System, but an opportunity to improve the system on a national level. Below we have provided a template for both a press release and/or a newsletter that you can use in your organizations to help inform your stakeholders, partners and continuances.
The national Emergency Alert System is an alert and warning system established to enable the President of the United States, if needed, to address the American public during emergencies. It is another critical communications tool that can protect the public and strengthen our nation’s resiliency. The National Weather Service, governors, and state and local authorities also use parts of the system to issue more localized emergency alerts. The test is an important exercise in ensuring that the system is effective in communicating critical information to the public in the event of a real national emergency.
This national test will help federal partners and EAS participants determine the reliability of the system, as well as its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential disasters both nationally and regionally. The test will also provide the FCC and FEMA a chance to identify improvements that are needed to build a new, modernized, and fully accessible Emergency Alert System.
If you have questions please contact the FEMA Office of Disability Integration and Coordination at FEMA-Disibility-Integration-Coordination@dhs.gov

09/05/2011: We’re now approaching the final week of preparations for “Getting Real II – Promising Practices in Inclusive Emergency Management for the Whole Community”. We’re excited to offer participants the opportunity to learn more about programs and efforts across the country that reflect FEMA’s commitment to ensuring that the whole community is involved in the emergency planning process. The conference is a 3-day event that starts at 7pm on September 12th and is co-sponsored by the National Council on Disability and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. We’ll be focusing on building partnerships as well as sharing promising practices. We’re pleased to have the support of the National Council on Disability in providing a live webcast of the event. If you aren’t able to join us in person, you can join us online at: gettingreal-ii.webcaston.tv/home/homepage.php
07/08/2011: On September 12-14, 2011 join FEMA’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination for “Getting Real II” Promising Practices in Inclusive Emergency Management for the Whole Community. This 3 day training conference will focus on building partnerships and sharing promising practices. The application period to attend or present at the conference is open from July 8, 2011 to August 1, 2011. Applications submitted after this date may still be considered depending on availability. See the conference application for more details.
- Application (PDF 210KB, TXT 21KB)
06/28/2011: On June 22, 2011 St. Petersburg College's National Terrorism Preparedness Institute (NTPI), a division of the Center for Public Safety Innovation, hosted a Webcast/Satellite Broadcast on the FEMA/DHS initiative, Planning for the Whole Community. This broadcast can be viewed by visiting the Live Response website. The program highlighted FEMA’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC) and explained the importance of including people with access and functional needs in emergency and disaster planning. Guests included Marcie Roth, Director of the ODIC; Richard Devylder, Senior Advisor for Accessible Transportation at the U.S. Department of Transportation; and June Isaacson Kailes, Disability Policy Consultant/Associate Director at Western University in California.
05/05/2011: On April 25, 2011 The Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC) with FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)met with the Wireless RERC (Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center) and were presented with findings and recommendations from field trials and focus groups which examined accessible Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) alerts to wireless devices. Also presented were preliminary findings on the use of social media by those with access and functional needs. To view the results visit the Wireless RERC (Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center) website.
03/22/2011: On March 16, 2011, the FCC's Emergency Access Advisory Committee (EAAC) released a national on-line survey to determine the most effective and efficient technologies and methods by which persons with disabilities may access Next Generation 9-1-1 emergency services systems. This is a national survey being conducted to see how people with disabilities want to call 9-1-1 in the future when they can use the Internet to send pictures, video, texts, as well as voice telephone calls. The survey is available in English, American Sign Language (ASL) video) and Spanish. This survey will be available until April 24, 2011.
03/11/2011: FEMA And National Disability Rights Network Sign Agreement To Strengthen Emergency Management Collaboration The Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN) signed a memorandum of agreement that further strengthens their growing partnership to ensure that the access and functional needs of people with disabilities are incorporated into all aspects of planning for, responding to and recovering from disasters.
11/03/2010: "Getting Real" - 2010 Inclusive Emergency Management National Capacity Building Training Conference Webinar. FEMA’s Office of Disability Integration and Coordination hosted a 3 day intensive cross-training and bridge-building conference in inclusive emergency preparedness practices with members of the disability and emergency management communities for post-training responsibility to engage and educate others on how to effectively collaborate in emergency preparedness and disaster response and recovery.
08/04/10: Region VIII Administrator Is Committed To Integrating The Disability Community Into FEMA’s Mission
07/19/2010: FEMA Administrator Fugate And National Council On Independent Living Sign Memorandum Of Agreement FEMA, NCIL Mark the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act
06/15/2010: Marcie Roth, Director of the Office of Disability Integration Coordination, testified before the House Homeland Committee’s Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response.
- Oral Testimony (PDF 77KB, TXT 10KB)
- Written Testimony (PDF 173KB, TXT 33KB)

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Last Modified: Friday, 03-Feb-2012 14:38:10 EST

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