At the Abilities Expo, Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 6 Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (FEMA ODIC) collaborated to educate people with disabilities about how to prepare for disasters and emergencies. The expo was held in Dallas in early December.
During the expo, DRTx and FEMA ODIC hosted a table where people with disabilities and other attendees could learn how to prepare for – and recover from – disasters and emergencies. One of the resources shared with attendees was the Emergency Ready Sheet, which promotes self-advocacy for people with disabilities by prompting them to identify the right people and entities to direct their preparedness questions to. This ensures the individual has more choices and options when they’re responding to a disaster or emergency. Another advantage of the Emergency Ready Sheet is that it helps people with disabilities keep their important information in one place so they can react quickly when a disaster or emergency strikes.
In addition to co-hosting a table, FEMA ODIC also conducted the game-based workshop Emergency Preparedness Bingo. In the workshop, attendees learned how to make a preparedness plan so they can maintain their independence and recover from emergency and disaster situations.
More than 2,500 people attended the three-day event and, due to the DRTx-FEMA ODIC collaboration, many people with disabilities who attended the expo will be more equipped to prepare for – and recover from – disasters and emergencies in the future.