Disaster Preparedness
Taking Care of People with Disabilities
By Hillary Witte, 2-1-1 Disability Programs Specialist
As the weather changes and the possibility for disasters increase, preparedness is key. By preemptively considering the "what ifs" and making preparations to meet your needs, it will be more likely that the winter season will pass without emergency, crisis and stress. Whether you are an individual who has a disability or are someone who works with, lives with or assists an individual with a disability, disaster preparedness is imperative. Take into account the type of disaster your area could experience and the nature of your needs; preparing accordingly will allow you to cope with and recover from disaster more quickly.

In King County, the months of October through February bring an increased chance of power outages, heavy rain and snow, flooding, downed trees and road closures; all which may cause evacuations, restricted hours for social services meeting basic needs and a lack of transportation. Preparing to meet your warmth/shelter, food and safety needs starts with a checklist. This checklist should include nonperishable food, water (one gallon per person per day), medication(s), a first aid kit, emergency contact info, a flashlight & batteries, sanitary items and blankets. This checklist may also include disability-related supplies and special equipment: extra glasses or hearing aids, oxygen, a generator, mobility devices and service animal supplies like extra water and pet food, a leash or harness, and extra pet medication and a pet carrier (if needed).

It is important for everyone to be prepared to meet his or her own basic needs by stocking up on food, water and necessary oxygen and/or medication for a minimum of three days. Whether you purchase your food, have a food delivery service or you visit a food pantry, buy or ask your food source for extra items. Clothing banks may have cold-weather clothing and blankets available, and dollar stores are a great place to pick up flashlights and batteries. Store a list of your emergency contacts, instructions related to your disability and important documentation (copies of identification, bank account info, family records, etc.) in a waterproof, portable container. Some insurance plans allow you to renew your prescription a day early each month; doing so will allow you to develop a stockpile of extra medication. Or, ask your healthcare provider about the possibility of obtaining additional medication for your emergency kit.

Getting to know your neighbors and letting them know about your specific needs is a good way to develop a local network of people who may be able to assist you in a disaster. Tell them about what you may face and how you may need assistance. Ask them to check in on you and let them know where they can find your assistive devices, medications and who to contact in case of emergency. For additional tips, checklists, and ideas, search keywords "disaster preparedness" or "disability" on www.redcross.org, www.fema.gov, www.prepare.org, and www.govlink.org/3days3ways

You can also search Community Resources Online for the keywords "Disaster Preparedness," "Disaster Relief Services" or "Disaster Recovery Services" and narrow your results by "Disabilities" (in the left-hand column).

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Winter Response Shelters
An Updated List for November
In the October 2009 issue, the article about Winter Response Shelters, did not mention the additional winter shelters that will be open this year. Please visit Community Resources Online and search "Bad Weather Shelters" or click here.

Winter Weather Disaster Info Needed
In case of a disaster this winter (such as a winter snow storm), the 2-1-1 Community Information Line will need organizations to keep us informed about the availability of programs, hours of operation and any other critical information. Please call us anytime, 24/7/365 and leave a voice mail at (206) 436-2992 during a disaster to report changes in your programs.

United Way Disaster Volunteers
United Way's Volunteer Center added disaster-related pages to the volunteer-matching software, and now has more than 900 volunteers registered in the "disaster skills bank" available in the event of a local disaster. If you would like to be available to volunteer in a disaster, please register here. If you work at an agency and would like to access the volunteer database during a disaster, you may register here

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Critical Resource Updates
Check Community Resources Online for additional information and for the most current updates of the following resources.

Housing Resources Group currently has vacancies for a one bedroom, senior HUD-subsidized apartments available at the Meridian Manor Apartments in North Seattle. Generally, these units are filled through our waiting list, however, there are not enough households on the waiting list to fill the current number of vacancies. These units require one household member to be 62 years old or older. Maximum occupancy is three people and household income must be at or below 50% area median income. Once current vacancies are filled, households who apply and meet basic criteria requirements will be added to the waiting list for future vacancies. For additional information and to download a pre-application, visit http://www.hrg.org/htm/rental/index.htm or call (206) 622-4768. Housing Resources Group is an equal opportunity housing provider.

Reach Out Men's Winter Shelter is a new addition to Community Resources Online. It is a winter men's shelter, located in rotating churches (Steel Lake Presbyterian and Calvary Lutheran) in Federal Way.

FAVOR is a new addition to Community Resources Online that offers food, clothing and hygiene product assistance - and advocates on behalf of clients who have barriers stopping them from accessing housing. These barriers include criminal records, evictions and poor credit history. Provides case management to these clients while building positive relationships with landlords. For more information, visit http://favorseattle.com or call the emergency hotline number at (206) 926-9500.

Seattle Therapy Alliance is a new addition to Community Resources Online. This agency provides affordable counseling services for adolescent girls and women in the greater Seattle region. For more information, contact (206) 660-4396 or visit http://www.seattletherapyalliance.com.

Project Inform is a new addition to Community Resources Online and provides HIV treatment and care information to people living with HIV, their providers and support networks. Phone line is staffed by volunteers, many of whom also have HIV.

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November and December Resources
This column highlights timely resources in the community information database that might otherwise go unnoticed by our users. It is always recommended to check Community Resources Online for additional information and for the most current information concerning the following resources.

November Resource Highlights
Get up-to-date information on Thanksgiving and other holiday events and resources. Search Community Resources Online with keywords "Thanksgiving Baskets" and "Thanksgiving Meals."

Puget Sound Energy - Natural Gas/Electric Services
Offers winter disconnection moratorium from November 15 to March 15, allowing customers to avoid disconnection by setting up a bill payment plan. Customers must provide written notice of inability to pay within five business days of late notice (unless there are extenuating circumstances) and follow detailed application process. Customers with a verified medical emergency, including dependency on a life support system, may apply for a 30-day extension of current electric or natural gas bill.

Medicare Part D
Enrollment will only be open from November 15th through December 31st of each year and enrollees may change plans during this time.

December Resource Highlights
In Resource Talk next month, we will provide information on December holiday events and resources. In the meantime, you can search which holiday resources are updated at Community Resources Online with keywords such as: Christmas Baskets (food from food pantries and organizations that provide food vouchers); Christmas Meals; Christmas Parties (parties that provide gifts to low-income children); Holiday Adoption Programs; Holiday Donations (for people who want to donate to an adopt a family program); Holiday Gifts/Toys, - also, check for the availability of Kwanzaa Programs.

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