PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES HAVE OFTEN BEEN AN AFTERTHOUGHT DURING A DISASTER
On Friday, August 22nd, the Alliance Center for Independence (ACI), Middlesex County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), FEMA and the American Red Cross will bring together 50 adults with all types of disabilities to spend the night at the Livingston Campus at Rutgers University in a mock overnight emergency shelter experience.
CERT, Red Cross staff as well as 50 volunteers who are trained to work the shelter in the event of a real disaster will be on hand.
Accessible shuttle buses will be available from the ACI office in Edison and the New Brunswick train station to pick up and drop off at Livingston Campus.
We hope that this experience will lead to additional mock exercises throughout the state and provide a dialog of ideas and solutions that people with disabilities and providers can bring to the planning table.
We have 10 spaces open for individuals with disabilities who would like to participate. All participants will receive a free emergency kit! The importance of emergency and disaster preparedness, particularly for people with disabilities cannot be overstated. Let's not have a repeat of Sandy when the next disaster strikes!
For more information and registration, visit our website at adacil.org or contact Carole Tonks at ctonks@adacil.org.
ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION ON DISABILITY
- 54 million people in the United States have a disability
- 61% of people with disabilities have not made plans to quickly and safely evacuate their homes
- Only 24% of people with disabilities made emergency plan preparations specific to their disability
