People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 27)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Dietz is proud of the efforts her state is making to do a better job, saying “Hopefully the horrific stories of the last few years will be less and less.”

“This is a fresh opportunity to do it right, to look at building and the environment through a more enlightened lens,” she said. 

“You’re forced to create new housing, new means of transportation — think of it as a path to building in a more inclusive way that is accessible to everyone. 

Think about people with disabilities before you start your big project.

Bring them to the table, work toward universal design.”

https://www.justdigit.org/

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 26)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

“You go to the shelter where you’re evacuated. 

Then they want to close the shelters because they’re in schools and places that need to get back to serving the purpose they were designed for. 

The quick solution is to institutionalize the person with no real plan to get back to the home they were in before the disaster.

We are making sure losing one’s home to a disaster is not a one-way ticket to

a person with a disability not being able to live in their community,” Deborah Dietz said.

https://www.justdigit.org/

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 25)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Deborah Dietz is executive director of Disability Independence Group, Inc. (DIG), a nonprofit disability rights legal advocacy center that provides litigation services,

education, outreach and training in the community.

“With storms last year in Florida’s Panhandle, there were a lot of disaster issues with housing.

The old HUD housing was inhabitable for people with disabilities. 

My husband, Matthew Dietz, who is the litigation director of DIG, was calling HUD and saying `you have rules and procedures that all people have a right to have a place to live. 

You can’t abandon people with disabilities," she said.

https://www.justdigit.org/

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 24)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Ghenis said design must be simplified whenever possible, or people with disabilities will not be able to get back to their dwellings after a small emergency or large disaster.

He explained that elevators are extremely expensive to repair and it takes a long time to get parts.

Outdoor lifts rust easily, but a ramp usually simply needs to be cleared of debris to function again.

“Able-bodied folks do not always recognize the exact complexity of needs of people with disabilities,” he said.

“We must take advantage of the creativity and insights of people with disabilities. They can define what their specific needs are, do a run through to make sure barriers haven’t been created and take a look at the big picture when design flaws can be corrected quickly and with minimal expense.”

https://www.curtisrogers.com/coconut-grove

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 23)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Ghenis, co-author of the Environmental Health News best practices article, who uses a motorized wheelchair for mobility, said many government leaders don’t realize how

important something as simple as access to electricity is to people with disabilities.

Planned blackouts, a response to trying to reduce forest fires in California, “is frightening.”

“They are now saying in fire risk days, they are going to need to shut down high-voltage transmission lines.

That will lead to blackouts from between 12 hours to 2 days. 

For people with disabilities — that need to get up and down in an elevator, to plug in a wheelchair to charge, to refrigerate medication — this will be terrible.

These are the unanticipated consequences of climate change response.”

https://www.curtisrogers.com/coconut-grove

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 22)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Membreno-Curtis  said “The challenge is to look at solutions for resiliency with a three-pronged approach:

1. Ecologically minded – we need to work with nature and understand nature.

2. Equity for all – otherwise we’re creating barriers for people with disabilities or we’re punishing one socio-economic group while protecting the property of another’s.

3. Economy – we must be careful about making unbalanced economic framework when we undertake billions of dollars’ worth of infrastructure projects.”

Membreno-Curtis said even a small project benefits from looking at all angles and making sure the finished project is accessible to all.

https://www.curtisrogers.com/

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 21)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Membreno-Curtis respects engineers, but cautioned that “solutions done from a singular point of view create other problems, including social equity problems.”

“What we have found is all these climate change solutions need to take a very multidisciplinary approach with a team of people from different angles: engineers, landscape architects, environmental scientists, accessibility experts and other consultants,” she said. 

https://www.curtisrogers.com/

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 20)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Membreno-Curtis is concerned that coastal areas are spending tens of millions — 

raising roads, sidewalks, buildings and installing dozens of stormwater pumps

that can fail when a major storm knocks out power —

on solutions created only by public works departments and engineers. 

https://www.curtisrogers.com/

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 19)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Aida Membreno-Curtis, a landscape architect and certified arborist, is the founding principal of Curtis+Rogers Design Studio in Miami.

In addition to the environmental benefits of increasing tree canopy to combat heat islands in Miami, she personally knows the positive impact of shade in the sun-scorched subtropics.

She has lupus and excess exposure to sunlight can cause flares in systemic lupus, triggering symptoms such as joint pain, weakness and fatigue.

https://www.curtisrogers.com/

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 18)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Holloway is astounded that FEMA standards encourage rebuilding to the prior standard that existed when the structure was built.

He said this ignores the golden opportunity to look at a disaster as a way to rebuild and

remodel to create more housing units and more buildings that are inclusive to all.

“We have best practices in front of us, but it’s not getting done. Government and private sector partners are not playing on the same page,” he lamented.

“Looking at resiliency and adaptation — what will save the country more money is building it green, building it accessible the first time.”

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 17)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

“My frustration is the things we’re pushing for are good for everybody,” Holloway said, explaining that Universal Design is not the same as trying to interpret complex and litigated ADA compliance.

“We need to work with nature, not against it. We’ve learned that working against it doesn’t work. There are so many distractions for engineers and builders, but a common-sense approach — designing with accessibility for all — makes sense economically, environmentally and in terms of sustainability/resiliency.”

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 16)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

All Miami-Dade County hurricane evacuation shelters exceed ADA standards for emergency shelters, and include accessible entryways, service and activity areas and

bathrooms. Service animals are permitted in all county hurricane evacuation shelters.

Todd Holloway is the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee chair of the National Council on Independent Living, and Disability Integration Advisor at the Center

for Independence in the Seattle-Tacoma Washington area. 

He has Meniere’s Syndrome, which causes hearing loss and episodes of extreme vertigo — one of the “invisible disabilities” that impacts daily lives but is not readily

apparent to others.

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 15)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Miami-Dade’s EEAP program provides evacuation support to residents who need specialized transportation assistance or whose medical needs prevent them from evacuating on their own.

Residents with disabilities or those who need skilled nursing care, assistance with daily living or have life-saving medical equipment dependent on electricity are urged to register with EEAP. 

The program — for individuals with functional and access needs, who live alone or with families — offers specialized transportation; safe shelter; medical monitoring; and wellness checks and is used for emergencies such as hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires,

chemical/radiation/hazardous materials releases and widespread power outages.

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 14)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Miami-Dade County, with a population of nearly three million all located just a few feet above sea level and at ground zero for devastating hurricane landfalls, is a leader in best practices for emergency evacuation for people with disabilities.

The County’s Emergency Management Office does aggressive outreach to the disability community, including prominent website and social media information about

its Emergency & Evacuation Assistance Program (EEAP).

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 13)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Roth said as communities rebuild after a disaster — or new towns are created to relocate from places that will be underwater in the near future — cities must be

aggressive in requiring that dwellings, even single-family housing, accommodate a wide range of families and abilities.

Especially since 20 percent of the U.S. population is experiencing some form of temporary or permanent disability at any point in time.

“Visitability is such a basic feature that can enhance the value of your home,” she said of designing a home that has a level entrance, wide doorways and bathrooms/

kitchens/bedrooms designed in a way that allows fast/cost-effective adaptation. 

“After an injury, be it at play or in a disaster, most people would not be able to come

home to their own house. Because less than one percent of homes are designed to be inclusive, people end up in a nursing home for months while they try to figure out

if they can adapt their home, move to a new place, or afford either solution.”

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 12)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Roth emphasizes that climate change adaptation is a great opportunity for communities to invest in housing, transportation, community resources, parks, pools, roads, sidewalks and major infrastructure that are fully accessible to people with disabilities.

“There is an obligation to make (facilities and infrastructure) accessible. It is hard to understand why people would balk at that,” she noted of public and private sector planners, architects and engineers that push back against universal design.

“First, they have a legal obligation.

Second, it’s the right thing to do. 

Third, it’s a smart business practice because you want all of your community

to access resources with as little (extra) accommodation as possible.”

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 11)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

Roth said city, county and state governments that fail to design for all are violating a long-established federal law.

“Every year, billions of federal dollars come to communities for recovery, rebuilding, hazard mitigation, programming and communications. For nearly a half

century, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 has required that every federal dollar spent must be done in a way that accommodates all. 

There are no waivers. The Rehab Act, older than ADA, requires spending money to make communities accessible.”

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 10)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

“The issues facing people with disability in disasters are not just (their) issues, they’re everybody’s issues. There are many opportunities to benefit the whole community

when you take some basic steps to make sure plans and facilities meet the needs of people with disabilities, older folks and other people with some mobility needs,” she

said during an interview as Dorian formed into a killer Category 4 hurricane.

Roth said shelters must be retrofitted to be entirely inclusive for people who need acute care.

Otherwise, families can be separated between those needing such care and

those that do not. She said people living alone who cannot make it to a special needs shelter “end up in an emergency room — the last place you want to be during a disaster.”

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 9)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

“Those who should be leading us are in denial about designing for the disability community. We have to step on toes,” Saxton said.

“We need to get upset about this.” Marcie Roth, CEO of Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, began her focus on people with disabilities in disasters in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks,

serving as an advisor to the White House on the rights and urgent needs of disaster survivors with disabilities living in the area around ground zero.

People with Disabilities are Not Innately Vulnerable (Part 8)

But when they are left out of the adaptation planning process — the consequences can be disastrous

“Ironically, climate change and the flooding and extreme weather events that it is causing to increase — make it imperative to think about disability as a major factor in

our communities.

[With climate change,] incidents of disability will increase — we will have to think of people who cannot run from the fire or jump in a boat,” she said.

Saxton noted that tens of millions of people — from infants to the elderly and many with disabilities — depend on electricity to keep vital medicines refrigerated, oxygen

machines working, dwellings cooled from 100-plus degree heat and other life-saving apparatus functioning.