Have FEMA declared natural or man-made disasters facilitated changes for persons with mobility impairments?
Information obtained during the interviews revealed that one site did not have a plan at the time of the disaster, and a majority (97%) of the sites had revised their plan since the disaster. The emergency managers were asked to identify the reason(s) that prompted the revisions in the plan. Eight sites (or 28%) reported making policy or procedural changes due to the disaster itself. From these eight sites, two sites made additional revisions to address disability-related concerns. Most revisions to the plans were the result of an annual or periodic review (72%), while other changes were facilitated by federal mandates (59%), state mandates (24%), or for other reasons (34%). Of the two sites that altered policies or procedures due to disability-related concerns, one site was considering how to better identify persons with disabilities, address electricity needs of the group, and safeguard the names of persons who are listed on the voluntary registry. The other site promoted changes in
