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Hearing Loss 101 for Emergency Planners

Hearing Loss 101 for Emergency Planners. Presented to the Disaster Preparedness Planning Committee March 21, 2012. 1. Presented by. Valerie Stafford-Mallis Health Educator Consultant FL Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. 2. 2.

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Hearing Loss 101 for Emergency Planners

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  1. Hearing Loss 101 for Emergency Planners Presented to the Disaster Preparedness Planning Committee March 21, 2012 1

  2. Presented by Valerie Stafford-Mallis Health Educator Consultant FL Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 2 2

  3. Sections used by permission: ADA Basics for Emergency Managers Created by: Chip Wilson Statewide Disability Coordinator Florida Division of Emergency Management 3

  4. Introduction 4

  5. Learning Objectives 5

  6. THE BASICS 6

  7. Emergency Management is the art of preparing for unknown events in order to provide safety for an unknown number of people in need of unknown resources under unknown circumstances for an unknown length of time • Anything that can happen eventually will happen! 7

  8. ADA Basics for Emergency Managers • Emergency Management may fall under Title II or III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) • Emergency Operations Centers (EOC’s) must meet Florida Building Code requirements (Chapter 11 Accessibility) • Florida’s accessibility code has been certified by the Department of Justice as being “essentially equal to or more stringent than the Americans with Disabilities Act”. 8

  9. ADA Basics for Emergency Managers • Emergency Management must provide physical access as well as access to programs, services and policies • EOCs must provide accessibility for the public, participants (volunteers, other agencies, etc.) and employees • Emergency Management has a responsibility to provide equal access to effective communication for the people accessing their facilities 9

  10. ADA Basics in Emergency Management • Key Thoughts • Ensure All Shelters Are Accessible to People with Disabilities: • General Population Shelters • Special Needs Shelters (SNS) • ADA Requires Sheltering in Most Integrated Setting Possible • Include People With Disabilities • Building planning in advance • Disaster planning in advance • Disaster exercises in advance • Advisers in advance 10

  11. Disability Issues in Emergency Management • Concept : • One size does not fit all • Many Floridians have a disability • A disability is defined as a physical limitation that substantially limits one or more major life activities (such as seeing, hearing, breathing, walking, and others) • Many different types of disabilities • Cognitive • Sensory • Physical • Emotional • Even within a disability category, there is no one best answer 11

  12. ADA Issues in Emergency Management • Who is responsible for providing accommodations in emergency shelters? • Ultimately, the local controlling governmental agency (almost always Emergency Management in sheltering events) • Responsibility should be defined in contracts, MOUs, etc. • i.e. – you take care of this and we will take care of that 12

  13. ADA Issues in Emergency Management • What is the controlling governmental agency’s responsibility in ensuring accessibility? • Must ensure shelter’s physical, program and policy accessibility • Provide services to persons with disabilities in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs • Must ensure responsibility for accessibility requirements is clearly defined with shelter owner and shelter manager 13

  14. ADA Basics for Emergency Managers • Emergency Management has responsibility to mitigate potential problems which may be encountered by ALL people – including those who have a disability. • Remember, anything that can happen eventually will happen! 14

  15. ADA Basics for Emergency Managers - Resources • Accessibility of Emergency Video Programming Factsheet (Federal Communications Commission) • Accessibility of Programming Providing Emergency Information (Federal Communications Commission) • Accessible Emergency Notification and Communication: State of the Science Conference (RERC on Telecommunications Access) • Accommodating People With Disabilities In Disasters: A Reference Guide To Federal Law (FEMA) • ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Governments: Emergency Management (Department of Justice); related documents: Emergency Management Checklist; The ADA and Emergency Shelters: Access for All in Emergencies and Disasters; and ADA Checklist for Emergency Shelters • Disability and Emergency Preparedness Resources (NOD) • Disability Resource Center (ICC on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities_ • Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities (American Red Cross) [PDF] • Disaster Preparedness for People with Disabilities (June Isaacson Kailes, Disability Policy Consultant) • Disability Preparedness Resource Center (Interagency Coordinating Council) • Disaster Mitigation for Persons with Disabilities 15

  16. ADA Basics for Emergency Managers - Resources • Effective Emergency Preparedness Planning: Addressing the Needs of Employees with Disabilities (DOL) • Emergency Power Planning for People Who Use Electricity and Battery Dependent Assistive Technology and Medical Devices [Word document] (June Kailes) • Emergency Preparedness Initiative (NOD) • Emergency Preparedness Resources (DisabilityInfo.gov) • The Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on People with Disabilities: A Look Back and Remaining Challenges (National Council on Disability) • Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities (DOJ) • Prepare Yourself: Disaster Readiness Tips for People with Disabilities (NOD) • Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and other Special Needs (FEMA) [PDF] • Preparing the Workplace for Everyone: Accounting for the Needs of People with Disabilities (DOL) • Rebuilding Accessible Communities (ADA Technical Assistance Centers and the Access Board) • Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning (National Council on Disability) 16

  17. Persons with Hearing Loss 17

  18. Hearing Loss Basics for Emergency Managers • Issues facing Deaf and Hard of Hearing • Communication • Instructions can be easily missed or misunderstood • Lack of response to instructions can be misunderstood as lack of cooperation • Fear • Related to confusion • Emergency Management’s responsibility • Provide effective means of communication for deaf • Sign language interpreter, written communication, communication signage, etc. 18

  19. Who Are the Deaf & Hard of Hearing? • Approximately 1/6th of Florida’s population • Over three million Floridians • May use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate • May NOT use ASL • Hearing loss may be congenital or acquired • May disclose their hearing loss • More likely will NOT disclose 19

  20. What Does Sheltering Mean for People with Hearing Loss? • They cannot be segregated to Special Needs Shelters (SNS) • All shelters must ensure communications accessibility to audible information • Provide an interpreter if required • Provide text board for written messages • Provide text-telephone TTY • Admit service animals 20

  21. Interpreters • Does every shelter have to have an interpreter onsite…just in case? • NO! • Interpreters • ASL • Oral • Tactile

  22. Accommodations • Equipment • Signage • Signage should be clear, easily understood • Directional signage should have raised letters as well as Braille • Lighting • Lighting should meet local fire/safety codes • Many persons with hearing loss ‘can’t hear in the dark’ 22

  23. Accommodations Equipment Text telephones (TTY) or Video phones? Pocket talkers or FM systems Service animal provisions Alarms Need visual component Flashing strobes Text boards or pictograms Put all announcements in writing 23

  24. Recognizing Hearing Loss 24

  25. The Speech Banana

  26. Hearing Loss Descriptors • Deaf • Hard of Hearing • Late-Deafened • Deaf-Blind 26

  27. Deaf • Sense of hearing is non-functional without the use of technological assists • May be congenital or acquired • deaf vs. Deaf 27

  28. Hard of Hearing • Can range from mild – moderate – severe – profound • Can affect one or both ears • Onset is usually gradual but can be rapid 28

  29. Late-deafened • Caught between the hearing world and the deaf world • Usually severe to profound • Occurs after speech and language are fully formed 29

  30. Deaf-blind • Substantial loss of hearing and vision • May necessitate an SSP – Support Services Provider • Does not have to mean total loss of hearing and vision • It’s important to know the degree of residual vision and hearing to determine the appropriate type of visual, auditory, or tactile communication methods 30

  31. Sarasota-Manatee 31 31

  32. Sarasota-Manatee 32

  33. Local Resources – Centers for Independent Living 33 33

  34. Including People with Hearing Loss in EM Planning WHO • Individuals with disabilities • Not ALL individuals with disabilities are subject matter experts on EM planning • BUT they are usually experts on their disability • Disability related organizations • Centers for Independent Living • Deaf Service Centers • FCCDHH 34

  35. Including People with Hearing Loss in EM Planning WHO Other disability related organizations in your area: Hearing Loss Association of Florida – Sarasota Chapter Florida Association of the Deaf Association of Late-Deafened Adults Advocates for Better Hearing 35

  36. Including People with Hearing loss in EM Planning WHY • Quite simply, for: • Their expertise • Their insight • Their experience • Change the perspective from: they are victims who need to be rescued to they are contributors and collaborators who can add value to emergency planning • Planning for and not with people with disabilities reflects the old paradigm “us versus them”. 36

  37. Including People with Hearing Loss in EM Planning…HOWEVER Establish and clearly communicate: • Goals and objectives of the group; • Qualities of the representatives you are looking for; • Projected time commitments needed from participants (projected number of meetings, length of meetings, preparation time, over what number of months, years), and • Policies regarding expense reimbursement. 37 37

  38. Including People with Hearing Loss in EM Planning…HOWEVER • Create an application for disability specific organizations to nominate primary participants and back-up individuals whom they would like to represent their organizations and constituents. The applicant organizations should document: • The qualifications of the representatives they are nominating. • How these representatives will communicate with the constituencies they represent. 38

  39. Including People with Hearing Loss in EM Planning WHEN • In all phases of EM planning • Infrastructure • Informational materials • In training • Staff (disability etiquette) • Shelter certification • In exercises • No better hands-on experience for first-responders than using people with real disabilities as role players 39

  40. Including People with Hearing Loss in EM Planning How to Accommodate CART Communication Access Realtime Translation Remote or Face to Face CapTel Web CapTel CapTel Phones ASL interpreters Video remote interpreting now a reality 40

  41. Including People with Hearing loss in EM PlanningHOWEVER • Remember – people with disabilities, even more than other segments of the population are not a homogeneous group. Differences exist even within a particular disability group. So, Don’t assume you know! 41

  42. Questions?

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