[nfbmi-talk] Fw: we don't get effective comm daily

[joe harcz Comcast via nfbmi-talk]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: joe harcz Comcast 
To: blind democracy List 
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2014 10:31 AM
Subject: we don't get effective comm daily


Let alone during emergencies....
The following information is forwarded to you by the Great Lakes ADA Center (
www.adagreatlakes.org)
for your information:

Effective Communication for People with Disabilities Before, During, and After Emergencies Evaluated

May 27, 2014 – Washington, DC – A new report by the National Council on Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency, examines the accessibility of communication
before, during, and after emergencies for people with sensory disabilities (deaf, hard of hearing, blind, low-vision, deaf-blind, and speech disabilities)
as well as people with intellectual, developmental, and/or psychiatric disabilities.  In the report, NCD documented successful practices and barriers to
effective emergency communications. This study, released during National Hurricane Preparedness Week, was conducted to help emergency planners and state
and local officials provide effective communication to people with disabilities before, during, and after emergencies.

“The concerns of people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in emergency situations are frequently overlooked, minimized or not
even recognized until after the fact,” said Jeff Rosen, NCD Chair. “Both research and anecdotal evidence strongly suggests that, to be truly effective,
people with disabilities must be an integral part of emergency communication activities, before, during, and after an emergency or disaster, small or large,
natural or manmade. Planning at the local level is absolutely essential and should be the bedrock of everything that comes after.”

Background: Since 2003, NCD has urged the need for research and evidence-based knowledge to support national efforts on emergency management and disability.
 In 2007, NCD began coordinating emergency management activities as assigned in the Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act (PKEMRA).

To read a full copy of the report, including key findings, recommendations and objectives, go to:
http://www.ncd.gov/publications/2014/05272014/

For more information or to arrange for an interview, contact NCD’s Public Affairs Specialist, Lawrence Carter-Long at
LCarterLong at ncd.gov
or by phone at 202-202-2112.

About the National Council on Disability (NCD): NCD is an independent federal agency of 15 Presidentially-appointed Council Members and full-time professional
staff, who advise the President, Congress and other federal agencies on disability policy, programs, and practices.

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