The National Council on Disability is charged with advising the president of the United States on issues related to disability. Regarding reconstruction of the built environment following Katrina their leadership has been decisive:
A universal design approach should be followed to meet the needs of
people with disabilities affected by recovery, rebuilding, and
resettlement efforts in the Gulf Coast region affected by Katrina. The
Federal Government should mandate universal design and full accessibility
for all new construction in the region affected by Hurricane Katrina.
September 19, 2005The Honorable Michael Chertoff
Secretary of Homeland Security
Naval Security Station
Nebraska and Massachusetts Avenues, NW
Washington, DC 20528Dear Secretary Chertoff:
Just as you are, the National Council on Disability (NCD) is concerned
about disaster relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts in the Gulf
Coast areas affected by Hurricane Katrina. A disproportionate number of
the Hurricane Katrina evacuees and survivors are people with disabilities
whose needs for basic necessities are compounded by chronic health
conditions and functional impairments. Katrina has caused tens of
thousands people with disabilities to be evacuated or displaced by
Katrina. People with disabilities affected by Katrina may not ever be
able to return to their communities-of-origin.People with disabilities have had to leave behind their homes, circles of
support, service networks, durable medical equipment, service animals,
and assistive technologies. Many have spent years putting their networks
of supports services in place.Many evacuees and displaced individuals with disabilities will need to
relocate several times from region-to-region and state-to-state over the
coming months. As a consequence, they will not be able to easily recreate
the life-sustaining service/support networks they need to survive each
day. For these reasons, NCD believes there is a dire need for urgent
action by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assist people
with disabilities affected by Hurricane Katrina. NCD offers you and your
agency the following recommendations:For the next several months:
Establish a Point Person on Disability who reports directly to the
Secretary and who interacts directly with the DHS senior leadership team
and vested with the responsibility, authority, and resources for
providing overall day-to-day leadership, guidance and coordination for
emergency preparedness, disaster relief and recovery operations of the
federal government on behalf of Americans with disabilities. The Point
Person should be a qualified senior-level person, and should be in
regular contact with other members of the DHS senior staff as well as the
members of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness
for People with Disabilities, state and local authorities, and citizens,
as necessary.
Develop and then implement a coordinated Federal Disability Recovery Plan
for Hurricane Katrina that focuses particularly on people with
disabilities.
Establish a Hurricane Katrina Disability Access Advisory Group, made up
of qualified people with disabilities and others with disability-specific
disaster experience, who meet regularly with senior officials to help
craft the Katrina-recovery plan, share real time information from the
Gulf Coast region, as well as to discuss events and challenges and
progress.
Use all available on the ground personnel available to provide funds and
target resources that specifically meet the identified and critical needs
of Katrina survivors with disabilities, including:
- assisting with the restoration of the organizations that
serve them;- identifying accessible temporary and permanent housing and
addressing the specific requests being made by leaders in the devastated
areas and those in the areas that people with disabilities are being
evacuated to;- ensuring the effective coordination with social services,
health services, education services, and other human service providers
and agencies throughout the recovery and restoration process;- ensuring the use of accessible communications technology for
people with disabilities during the regions recovery from this disaster
to help assess damage, collect information, and deploy supplies; and- ensuring that the response to and the recovery from Hurricane
Katrina complies with Federal law requiring nondiscrimination and
accessibility, including the requirements of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
For the next several years:
Recovery, rebuilding and resettlement operations must have the
appropriate resources, medical equipment, supplies, and training to
address the needs of people with disabilities. Many individuals with
disabilities will require accessible housing, appropriate health
services, and assistive technologies. At the very outset and during all
its phases, these operations should include in an integral way people
with disabilities with experience and expertise on these matters.Recovery, rebuilding, and resettlement personnel must be educated and
trained in the field, on how to support the independence and dignity of
persons with disabilities in the months and years following Hurricane
Katrina. People with disabilities should be included in the development
of the response personnel, and should be supported by the appropriate
accommodations.A universal design approach should be followed to meet the needs of
people with disabilities affected by recovery, rebuilding, and
resettlement efforts in the Gulf Coast region affected by Katrina. The
Federal Government should mandate universal design and full accessibility
for all new construction in the region affected by Hurricane Katrina.Disability organizations must be joined with all Hurricane Katrina
recovery, rebuilding, and resettlement government (and non-government)
operations and be relied upon for ongoing advice, guidance, and
leadership.NCD is deeply concerned for all of the citizens who are now homeless as a
result of Hurricane Katrina devastation, many of whom have disabilities
and who are older Americans who experience a high rate of disabling
conditions. NCD continues to offer our support and assistance to all
branches of government in their ongoing work to help people rebuild their
lives.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We appreciate your personal
commitment to insuring the recovery of all those affected by this
catastrophic disaster, including those with disabilities.Sincerely,
Lex Frieden
Chairperson
National Council on Disability
# # #