Emergency Operations Plans for Individuals with Disabilities

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed project is designed to fill an important yet unmet need by developing an online training program that has the potential for reaching all emergency managers, responders and students in the field of emergencypreparedness with a specific focus on individuals with disabilities. Pursuing this objective, the applicant organization, Praxis, Inc., and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center at the University of Massachusetts Medical School will work together to develop,implement and evaluate a comprehensive emergency preparedness educational and training curriculum, Emergency Operations Plans for Individuals with Disabilities (EOPD). The Phase 1 modules, titled Introduction to Emergency Plans for Individuals with Disabilities and Identification of People with Disabilities in the Community: Mapping Techniques and Technology, will be part of a comprehensive curriculum designed to train emergency preparedness staff to anticipate, plan for and address the likely needs of children and adults with disabilities before, during, and after emergencies. The curriculum will be an anytime, anywhere training program available to anyone with Internet access. The product will be a fully hosted, Web-based distance learning instructionalprogram in which lessons will build upon one another, assisting learners to acquire a foundation of knowledge upon which more complex skill sets can be built. Learners who participate will apply knowledge acquired through the course to simulated or real life situations and adverse events that could potentially occur with this population during emergencies. Self-assessments will be built into each module to help them accurately and systematically assess their skills and develop learning plans to improve whenneeded. Accomplishing the aims of this project will ultimately impact the needs of individuals with disabilities as they become better prepared to confront emergencies and/or disasters. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed project and the resulting product will directly benefit individuals who provide emergency preparedness services to the public. By teaching emergency managers, responders and students about the unique challenges facing people with disabilities, they will be better informed, readyand able to serve the unique needs of this population. The project has three major objectives: (1) to design, develop, implement, and evaluate a new on-line training course titled Emergency Planning and Response for Individuals with Disabilities, (2) to develop a commercially viable software prototype, and (3) to evaluate the resulting program to determine the usability of the software and the effectiveness of the curriculum in disability relevant issues to emergency preparedness professionals.