Help Your Communities Prepare for Emergencies: Join the Access & Functional Needs Committee
Do you have access and/or functional needs? If so, we encourage you to join the Access & Functional Needs Committee. This group aims to educate emergency response agencies on how to better assist yourself and others like you during emergencies.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), individuals with access and functional needs may include, but are not limited to:
– People with disabilities
– Seniors
– Individuals with limited English proficiency
– Those with restricted transportation access
– Individuals lacking financial resources for emergency preparedness, response, and recovery
The Access and Functional Needs Committee consists of community members with access and functional needs, alongside community partners like emergency response agencies. Together, they work to address and advocate for the needs of this community in the context of emergencies and preparedness planning.
Established in February 2024, the committee aims to ensure that access and functional needs are not overlooked during future disasters. Currently, it includes members from local public health departments and emergency response agencies responsible for disaster preparation, response, and recovery. However, input from community members with access and functional needs is still greatly needed.
Anyone with access and functional needs is encouraged to join the committee, as they are experts on their own lived experiences. They understand the challenges faced during emergencies and how to improve those situations moving forward. The committee requires their insights not only on needed improvements but on effective implementation strategies as well.
The goal of the Access & Functional Needs Committee is to identify and address unmet access and functional needs from past scenarios, such as during tornadoes and the COVID-19 pandemic, to enhance future responses.
Increased community participation from those with access and functional needs would help the committee to achieve its objectives. The committee is actively seeking involvement from:
– Youth
– Residents of institutional settings
– Older adults
– Pregnant women
– Individuals with disabilities
– People with chronic conditions
– Those with pharmacological dependencies
– Individuals with limited transportation access
– People with limited English proficiency
– Individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds
– People experiencing homelessness
Committee meetings take place on the third Tuesday of every other month during the even months at ACIL, located at 165 East Helena Street in Dayton, typically from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The next meeting will be in August.
Meetings begin with sign-ins, followed by a roundtable discussion of the agenda. Members of the access and functional needs community are then invited to express any concerns or needs related to emergencies. Emergency response agencies, public health departments, and other partners will have the opportunity to respond to these concerns. Finally, any updates from ACIL will be shared, and the next meeting date will be reviewed.
Attendance at Access & Functional Needs Committee meetings is welcomed both in person and virtually via Zoom. Those attending in person are encouraged to arrive a few minutes early and should remember that the center maintains a fragrance-free environment. Please avoid wearing heavily scented products to protect those with chemical sensitivities and respiratory conditions. Free parking is available in the lot behind the building, and public transportation users can access the center via Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority Bus Route 17, with the nearest stop located at Helena Street and McCook Avenue.
To attend via Zoom, please email Christopher Rutledge, Director of Programs at ACIL, at [email protected] to request the link. If you require disability accommodations for virtual meetings, please reach out to her as well. Keep in mind that if you need a C-Print Captionist or ASL interpreter, you must notify Christopher at least four days before the meeting. Accommodations will only be provided upon request. All Zoom meetings will be recorded and captioned, with links to the recordings available upon request.
The next Access & Functional Needs Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 19th, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. If you have any questions about the committee, please contact Christopher at the email address provided above.