Day Two:

Thursday, November 4th, began with the third workshop “Getting and Keeping Your Seat at the Table” and was moderated by The Partnership’s Co-Executive Directors, Shaylin Sluzalis and Germán Parodi. During this panel discussion, local and national disability leaders discussed ways that people with disabilities can advocate for and maintain their seats at tables where emergency management plans are created. They also discussed how Centers for Independent Living and other providers can offer ongoing peer support, information, and resources during emergencies and disasters, and how they can best engage in personal and systemic advocacy for inclusive emergency management. Panelists included Terri and Brigitte Hancharick, Chairwoman, State Council for Persons with Disabilities and self-advocate; Todd Holloway, Senior Independent Living Advocate, Center For Independence (CFI), Washington State; Jim House, Disability Integration Manager, Coalition on Inclusive Emergency Planning (CIEP), Washington State Independent Living Council; Jenn Gilchrist, Board Member, FCIL; and Pat Maichle, Chair, SILC.

Immediately after breaking for lunch, participants were treated to remarks from Delaware’s Lieutenant Governor, Bethany Hall-Long. Lieutenant Governor Hall-Long is a former nurse with a passion for emergency preparedness. In addition to offering suggestions as to how people with disabilities can best prepare for disasters and emergencies, she invited members of the Delaware disability community to contact her about their advocacy efforts.

The Lieutenant Governor’s remarks were followed by a “Roundtable Discussion with Local Disabled Leaders and Local Public Health and Emergency Management Officials” where local public health and emergency management officials discussed with panelists with disabilities the best strategies for understanding and mitigating disability bias in emergency management. This was followed by a solutions-oriented dialogue for people with disabilities, families, allies, and state and local government agencies about barriers the disability community members face in disasters and ways to best engage with public health and emergency management moving forward. The roundtable was moderated by Lillian Harrison from the IRI Board and Priya Penner from The Partnership. Panel members were John McNeal, Director, Delaware State Council for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD); Beth MacDonald, Vulnerable Populations Coordinator, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services/Division of Public Health / Office of Preparedness; Paige Fitzgerald, Supervisor of the Community Outreach team, Special Projects Section and the Comprehensive School Safety Program, DEMA; Brittany Mosely, Citizen Corps and CERT Program Coordinator, DEMA; Ken Rolph, Coordinator of Blind Services, IRI; and Arte Mays, Consumer, IRI.

Conference attendees then heard a closing keynote by Javier Robles J.D., a professor of The Kinesiology and Health Department and Co-chair of the Rutgers University Disability Studies committee at Rutgers University. Javier is also the Director of the Center for Disability Sports, Health and Wellness at Rutgers University. He is the Chair of the New Jersey Disabilities COVID-19 Action Committee. Professor Robles called on the audience to recognize the disproportionate death and injury that happens to people with disabilities during disasters especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and to hold government agencies and elected officials accountable.

The conference concluded with energizing remarks from the sponsor organizations.

The audience shared that they “appreciated the multiple panel speakers [that allowed them] to get different voices and experience” and “the knowledge, wisdom, and resources shared by all” was the best part of the entire event. One attendee shared that they learned that “all disabled individuals need to have direct input into the State Plan.