January 2008

RTC and NASDDDS Launch Web Tool to Assess Emergency Preparedness

In the weeks following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) began compiling emergency preparedness resources and information to share with state disability agency officials nationwide as they assessed states’ emergency response plans and capabilities in relation to people with disabilities. It soon became clear that most of the available information on preparedness was of limited applicability to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In response, the NASDDDS began an initiative to develop new tools to assist member agencies to design and build state-specific emergency preparedness plans that address the unique characteristics and needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The outcome of that work – carried out in collaboration with the Institute’s Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC) – was unveiled December 13 with the official launching of the Web-based NASDDDS Emergency Response Preparedness Self-Assessment Instrument (http://rtc.umn.edu/erp/main).

The instrument is an easy-to-use, Web-based, self-assessment tool that enables state officials to identify the specific strengths and needs of their current emergency preparedness materials, plans, and protocols. Users select specific areas of focus to review, and the program generates a series of questions regarding the extent to which the various emergency response plans address a particular issue. Users are asked to indicate whether the topic being described is (a) adequately addressed by their state’s emergency planning documents, (b) addressed but needs improvement, (c) is not addressed, or (d) the user does not know. Users are then able to select one of the following for each question: “Flag this item for future action,” “comment about my state’s readiness to address this issue,” “view supporting resources for this evaluation statement,” or “make comments.” The program keeps track of the answers, and provides a summary for each specific area as well as an overall summary report.

“Until this point, there really hasn’t been any sort of evaluation instrument that helps state officials assess the extent to which their state’s emergency preparedness plans address the needs of people with disabilities during periods of emergency and crisis,” says Pat Salmi, Coordinator of the RTC’s involvement in the project. “This instrument should help states zero in on the areas where they need to focus, and help identify gaps in state planning.”

At the December launch representatives from 20 state disability agencies around the country participated in the initial teleconference session unveiling the Web tool. More opportunities for states to learn about it and register to use it are scheduled for later this year. The instrument is currently available only to state officials nationwide but there is a plan to extend its use to additional groups, including provider agencies, in the future.

FFI, contact Pat at (612) 625-0171 or salm0054@umn.edu. RTC participation in the project was funded by a contract from NASDDDS, and Charles Moseley, Associate Executive Director at NASDDDS, oversees the project.