As of April 19th, 38 tornadoes, the most in any state, have touched down in Ohio in 2024, according to an article in the Dayton Daily News.
Preparing for tornadoes and other natural disasters is a part of life that can overwhelm anyone, but it can be particularly stressful for those who have a condition, temporary or permanent, that limits their ability to act. People with such conditions have access and functional needs.
Per the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), people having access and functional needs may include, but are not limited to, individuals with disabilities, seniors, populations having limited English proficiency, limited access to transportation, and/or limited access to financial resources to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the emergency.
Do you have access and/or functional needs? If so, consider joining the Access & Functional Needs Committee to help educate emergency response agencies about how to help yourself and others like you in emergency situations.
“The Access and Functional Needs Committee is a group that is comprised of members of the community who have access and functional needs and community partners, such as emergency response agencies, working together to address and advocate for the access and functional needs community with respect to emergencies and emergency planning,” said Marissa Witzerman, Public Health Specialist at the Access Center for Independent Living (ACIL).
The Access & Functional Needs Committee was established in February 2024 in hopes of ensuring that access and functional needs will not be overlooked during future disasters. Members of local public health departments and emergency response agencies that are responsible for, preparing for, responding to, and facilitating the recovery from disasters currently make up most of the committee. Input from community members who have access and functional needs is still very needed.
“Anyone with access and functional needs can and should join the committee because they are the only experts on their lived experiences. Those with access and functional needs know the deficits that they have experienced during emergencies and how those situations can be improved in the future. We need them to speak to not only the improvements needed but also to how improvements should be implemented,” said Marissa.
The goal of the Access & Functional Needs Commitee is to become aware of and address the access and functional needs that were not met in previous scenarios, such as during tornados and the Covid-19 pandemic, to better prepare for future response. The committee will soon roll out a survey entitled the Unmet Needs of Ohioans with Disabilities During the Covid-19 Pandemic Survey with the hope of accomplishing that goal.
In addition to the survey, the committee would like to establish a guide for local and regional emergency response agencies to use when developing emergency preparedness plans as well as during disaster response that would include information about resources that may be useful during an emergency such as translation services available.
“It would be a lot easier for the Access & Functional Needs Committee to meet its goal with more community participation from those with access and functional needs. We would love people who are members of the deaf community and people who are a part of LGBTQIA+ community join the committee but anyone with an access and functional need is welcome,” said Marissa.
Meetings of the Access & Functional Committee take place quarterly at ACIL which is located at 165 East Helena Street in Dayton and are typically held from 2:00pm to 3:30pm on Monday afternoons.
“Meetings are typically relaxed. We begin by making sure everyone has signed in and then go through the agenda in a roundtable fashion allowing committee members to add to it as they see fit. We then allow members of the access and functional needs community to express any concerns or needs they have related to emergencies. Next emergency response agencies, public health departments, and other community partners are given a chance to respond to concerns and potentially address them. Lastly, anything ACIL would like the committee to be aware of is addressed and the next meeting date is reviewed,” said Marissa.
People are welcome to attend Access & Functional Needs Committee meetings in person or virtually via Zoom. Those attending in person are advised to arrive a few minutes early and to remember that the Access is a fragrance-free environment. Please refrain from wearing heavily scented perfumes or colognes when visiting our center for the protection of those with chemical sensitivities and respiratory conditions. Free parking is available in the lot behind the building. Those who use public transportation can get to the center by taking Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority Bus Route 17. The nearest stop is at Helena and McCook.
Those who wish to attend the committee meetings via Zoom, should email Marissa at [email protected] to request the link. Anyone who needs disability accommodations to participate in virtual meetings should email her as well. Please keep in mind that if you require a C-Print Captionist or ASL interpreter, you need to email Marissa at least four days prior to a committee meet. An ASL interpreter or C-Print Captionist and C-Print Transcript will only be provided if someone requested the accommodation. All Zoom meetings will be recorded and will have captioning enabled. Links to recordings are available upon request.
The next meeting of the Access & Functional Needs Committee is scheduled for Monday, May 20th from 2:00pm to 3:30p.m. Have additional questions about the committee? Contact Marissa at the email address above or call her at 937-341-5202 Ext 105.
