How Can People With Disabilities Make Sure We Are Considered in the Event of An Emergency?
I have had some very creative solutions presented to me for evacuation plans in case of an emergency. Most of the time it involved waiting until someone came to get me out of the building. I've been grateful that I have friends and family who have offered to grab me and run. I know that is not possible for everyone. My first thought has always been to have people with disabilities evacuate cities first. This way evacuation can happen before the weather gets worse.
The thing about that is depending on where you are coming from, evacuation can sometimes take a few days. This could be expensive if you need to make stops to take care of your medical needs. It would also mean that you have the time to evacuate before the disaster happens.
This isn't always the case. I remember once my mom and I flooded the car on the way to school. The river overflowed because of heavy rain from the previous night. We had to call the fire department. They had to pull me out of the car, and they pulled me in a raft to the fire truck. I waited inside the truck for my Dad to pick us up. My parents managed to get my power wheelchair out of the car a few hours later, and it wasn't damaged. This was a tiny emergency. I didn't have to choose between saving myself, or my house.
The podcast episode suggested including people with disabilities in evacuation plans or structures. This would be ideal because, then, the evacuation centers would have accommodations for anyone who stays there.
I also appreciated that the idea extended to all aspects of life. A simple solution like offering straws at a restaurant for those who need them.
I had never heard of environmentally friendly transit options before the episode. These would be wonderful for the big cities around the United States. People with disabilities often rely on public transit as a way to travel. It may also make traveling more accessible because they might add more buses to the rotation.
There are viable solutions that work for everyone and help the earth. We have to consider everyone and consider the benefits. The world will be a much better place when we do.
This article was inspired by the podcast episode with Erik Solheim, the Executive Director of the U.N. Environment Program. The link is below:
Photo by bluebudgie courtesy of Pixabay
Stephanie Wyatt has Cerebral Palsy and uses a manual wheelchair. She spends her free time hanging out with her best friend Carmen and her dog Ama Angelica.
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