Richard Devylder
Senior Advisor for
Accessible Transportation
U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of
the Secretary
richard.devylder@dot.gov
(202) 366-0129
U.S. Department of Transportation
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We must identify the Access and
Functional Needs of children and
adults with disabilities before,
during and after a disaster, and
integrate disability elements and
resources into all aspects of
emergency management systems.
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Non-discrimination Principles
of the Law
Federal civil rights laws require
equal access for, and prohibit
discrimination against, people with
disabilities.
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Underlying ADA Values
Equal Opportunity
Integration
Full Participation
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ADA Enforcement
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To get to
Enter
Use
Communicate with
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U.S. Department of Transportation
Department of Justice Guidance to State
& Local Governments
Americans with Disabilities Act
and other laws apply in:
 Preparation
 Notification
 Evacuation and transportation
 Sheltering
 Recovery
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Special Needs
Population
Total
% of U.S. total
population
(281,421,906)
Children, age 15 & under
64,272,779
22.84
Elderly, age 65 & over
34,991,753
12.43
Speak English “not well”,
age 18-64
5,703,904
2.03
Speak English “not at all”,
age 18-64
2,575,154
0.92
33,153,211
11.78
140,696,801
49.99
Non-institutionalized
population with a disability,
age 16-64
Total Special Needs Population
Data Source. U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1: table P1, total population; table PCT12, total population sex by age. Summary File 3: table P19, age by language spoken at home by ability to speak
English for the population 5 years; over and table P42, sex by age by disability status for the civilian noninstitutionalized population age 5 years and over.
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Research supported by grant #H133B030501, NIDRR, U.S. Dept. of Education. Prepared by Enders and Brandt, copyright RTC: Rural, 2006.
51.44%
if added to entire
institutionalized
population
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It is beyond time to retire
“Special Needs” & to
disaggregate this diverse group
Special
needs
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Special Needs
Doesn't work because it
doesn’t provide guidance
to operationalize the tasks
needed.
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Messaging
No one is coming to rescue you!
Neighbors helping each other (car,
radio, generator)
Developing survival kits for 14-days or
more
Establish expectation when and how
government may assist
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Who in addition
to traditional
stakeholders are
at the planning
table?
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 Centers for
Independent Living
 Service centers for
people with
Intellectual
disabilities
 Transport
Providers
 Deaf/Hard of
Hearing Orgs
 Blind/Low vision
Orgs
 Mental Health
Orgs
 Personal
Assistance Services
 Home Health
 Area Agencies on
Aging
 Meals-on-Wheels
 Homeless Services
Orgs
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Evacuation Transportation
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Essential Concerns
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Identify Need
Integrate Resources
Suspension of Services/Scheduling Policy
Accessibility of Vehicles
Accessibility of Facilities
Adaptive Equipment
Pets/Service Animals
Forced Evacuation
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Accessible
Communications
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The most effective notification
is door-to-door, which should
include disability and aging
experts; incorporate language
interpreters, including American
Sign Language professionals.
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Early-Warning Notification
Systems
 Ability to send text messages to wireless
devices (in multiple languages)
 Ability to send messages to TTY’s, Pagers,
Video Services, etc.
 Messages are tested with end users
(children, people with cognitive
disabilities or Limited English Proficiency )
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Emergency Alert Systems
 Accessible messaging:
Real-Time Captioning
Reading of scrolled messages
Is the information provided, easy to understand
(not higher than 3rd Grade Reading Level)
Messages are tested with end users (children,
people with cognitive disabilities or Limited
English Proficiency)
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Press Conferences
Sign-language interpreting provided
Television broadcasts include
interpreter on the screen (preferably
next to speaker)
Real-Time Captioning
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Neighborhood Response
 Identify people willing and able to
transport neighbors to safety
 Are community partners able to safely
provide food and shelter, & for what
duration of time
 How many citizens have health care
experience & can provide assistance
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Del Mar Shelter
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Potential Transportation Resources
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Paratransit
Public transit
Non-profit orgs
Area Agencies on Aging
Centers serving people
w/disabilities
 Taxi/ Limo Services
 Non-medical emergency
services
 School district
transportation systems
 Adult Day Health Care
(ADHC)
 Airport shuttle buses
 Airport rental car
 Senior centers
 Health care centers
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College Campuses
• Do you have a campus-wide plan for
evacuating students & faculty?
• Is the campus-wide plan integrated
with local plans?
• Are campus vehicles accessible &
integrated (with drivers) into
evacuation plans & drills?
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Mutual Aid
Mutual aid resources may also have
transportation concerns
 Equipment/Supplies (wheelchairs, shower
chairs, canes, hearing aid batteries, diabetic
resources, catheters, adult diapers)
 Shelter Personnel (familiar with people with
access and functional needs)
 Personal Assistance Service Providers
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Transportation MOUs
 Public Entities Include
ADA mandated paratransit
Dial-a-ride
Fixed-route buses
 Private Entities Include
Community partners vehicles
Shuttle (car rental, transit hubs)
Rental car/buses
Taxis
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Re-entry & Recovery
Transitioning Back to
Community
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Transportation
Guidance for
Recovery
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A community's public
transportation system is a
crucial resource that directly
impacts activities across areas
of employment, education,
recreation, social services,
health care, and general civic
participation.
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USDOT recognize that, depending on
circumstances, it can take a while to
restart public transportation services,
including those accessible to people
with disabilities, but there is no
“disaster exception” to the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA). As services
are restarted, accessible services need
to start up on approximately the same
timetable.
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Transportation
 Coordination of Services
 Transit Authority
 ADA Mandated Paratransit
 Other Community Based Services
 Eligibility Policies
 Scheduling Policies
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Applicable regulatory provisions
underlying this guidance can be found
in 49 CFR part 37, Transportation
Services for Individuals with
Disabilities, which can be accessed at:
http://www.fta.dot.gov/civilrights/ada
/civil_rights_3906.html.
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Updating Plans
1. What evacuation plans currently
exist?
2. Are multiple entities dependent on
same evacuation resources?
3. Do your response plans account for
movement of individuals from
schools, neighborhoods, medical
facilities and nursing facilities?
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4. Have community care facilities been
identified/mapped?
5. Do community care facilities have
evacuation plans?
6. Are transportation service providers
incorporated into evacuation plans
including aging and disability
transportation providers?
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7. During non-operational hours, how quickly
can transportation providers respond?
8. Do evacuation plans address areas of the
community not served by transit?
9. Do you know where people with access and
functional needs frequently get on your
transit system?
10.Can neighboring transportation jurisdictions
assist in emergencies?
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11. Are wheelchair accessible vehicles and
trained drivers immediately available
during evacuations?
12. Do drills/exercises involve first
responders, disability providers and
people with disabilities?
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For info & resources you can use:
 FHWA Evacuating Populations with Special Needs
http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop09022/index.htm
 FTA Critical Incident Management Guidelines
http://transitsafety.volpe.dot.gov/training/Archived/EPSSeminarReg/CD/docum
ents/ToolKit/FTA_MA_26_7009_98_1.pdf
 FTA Disaster Response and Recovery Resource for Transit
http://transitsafety.volpe.dot.gov/publications/safety/DisasterResponse/HTML/
DisasterResponse.htm
 FTA Emergency Preparedness Guide for Transit Employees
http://transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/EPG/JSimpsonLetter.html
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For info & resources you can use:
 FEMA Comprehensive Preparedness Guide 101: Producing
Emergency Plans
http://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/divisions/npd/CPG_101_V2.pdf
 TCRP Special Report 294: The Role of Transit in Emergency
Evacuation
http://www.trb.org/SecurityEmergencies/Blurbs/The_Role_of_Transit_i
n_Emergency_Evacuation_160047.aspx
 CAL EMA Planning Guidance for People with Access and
Functional Needs
 Office for Access and Functional Needs www.calema.ca.gov
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For info & resources you can use:
 Nobody Left Behind: Incorporating Special Needs Populations into Emergency
Planning and Exercises
www.nobodyleftbehind2.org/findings/pdfs/JMFinal072105.pdf
 National Study on Carless and Special Needs Evacuation Planning
http://planning.uno.edu/docs/CarlessEvacuationPlanning.pdf
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