April 18, 2019

Introducing the Capacity-Building Toolkit for Including Aging and Disability Networks in Emergency Planning

3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Webinar

This is the second webinar in a series of tri-annual events for the Administration on Disabilities to provide information on disaster-related activities. Cheryl Levine, PhD, Special Advisor for At-Risk Individuals in the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), will describe the new Capacity-Building Toolkit that addresses:

  • Providing information and resources for the aging and disability networks to become more engaged in emergency planning;
  • Increasing community–based organization (CBO) readiness through establishing partnerships with emergency management and public health officials;
  • Advancing whole community/inclusive emergency planning and supporting consumers with individual preparedness; and
  • Ensuring equal access to our nation’s emergency preparedness, response, and recovery resources.
Background: Following the devastating 2017 hurricanes, ASPR collaborated with ACL to ensure the HHS response addressed the needs of older adults and people with disabilities. ACL subject-matter experts staffed a taskforce to assess impacts and set requirements for maintaining the well-being of people impacted by the disasters.The resulting Capacity-Building Toolkit for Including Aging and Disability Networks in Emergency Planning provides a guide for ACL-funded CBOs, which comprise the Aging and Disability Networks, to increase their ability to plan for and respond to emergencies and disasters. It also orients emergency managers and public health officials to understand Network capabilities and expertise.