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Reasonable Accommodation for Disaster Survivors

A reasonable accommodation for disaster survivors is a modification (change, exception, or adjustment) to a rule, policy, practice, service, or procedure that is necessary to allow individuals with disabilities equal access and opportunity to FEMA funding.

FEMA provides the following services in order to meet the needs of all disaster survivors:

  • American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter and/or Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)
  • Real time captioning services, remote or in-person
  • Assistive listening and/or reading devices
  • Documentation in Braille and/or large print
  • Physical accessibility components (such as wheelchair, restrooms, paths of travel) for FEMA facilities, to include Disaster Recovery Centers.
  • Translation services in 250 languages to assist survivors with limited English proficiency.
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If a needed accommodation is not already available within FEMA’s assistive services, FEMA coordinates these requests with other program areas to resolve the accommodation need.

FEMA Denied My Request

FEMA may deny a request for a reasonable accommodation or modification if the request was not made by or on behalf of a person with a disability, if there is no disability-related need for the accommodation or modification, or the accommodation would fundamentally alter the nature of a program or result in an undue burden on FEMA.

When a person with a disability believes that they have been subjected to a discriminatory practice regarding equal access, including a wrongful denial of a request for reasonable accommodation, they may file a complaint with FEMA Office of Equal Rights (OER), External Civil Rights Division (ECRD).

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