Disaster Zone Podcast: 'Disasters and People with Disabilities'

My latest Disaster Zone podcast, "Disasters and People with Disabilities," is something you might want to listen to. Over the years it has become much more evident that organizations have not put enough emphasis on this population in our communities.

In the United States the estimated population of people with disabilities is around 61 million, which equates to approximately 20 percent of the total population. Back when I was a local emergency manager, I did some rough calculations and figured that 18 percent of my county's population attended K-12 schools. That is another special population to be addressed — before a disaster strikes.

Take the time to think about what your plans, trainings and exercises have in them that address people with disabilities. We can all do better in this critical area. I always believe it is better to integrate these types of efforts rather than build special programs for them. That way they will have "legs" going beyond a specific project or program.