In his PrepTalk, “We Succeed or Fail Together” Vance Taylor shares the personal story of a shelter that failed to take into account the needs of people with access and functional needs and how emergency managers can achieve better integrated planning. Taylor explains the importance of understanding the communities we serve and the need to integrate people with access and functional needs within each phase of planning for communication, sheltering, evacuation, and medical needs.
Taylor is the Chief of the Office of Access and Functional Needs in the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Related Resources
- PrepTalks Discussion Guide: We Succeed or Fail Together
- U.S. Census Bureau – American Community Survey
- California Access and Functional Needs Web Map
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Disability and Health Data
- Department of Justice – ADA Guide for Local Governments, Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities
- Ready.gov – Individuals with Disabilities
- ADA Checklist for Emergency Shelters
- FEMA Guidance on Planning for Integration of Functional Needs Support Services in General Population Shelters
Q & A Session
PrepTalks are given by subject-matter experts and thoughts leaders to spread new ideas, spark conversation, and promote innovative leadership for the issues confronting emergency managers now and over the next 20 years. For more information and more talks, see https://www.fema.gov/preptalks
