FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CRT

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2006 (202) 514-2007

WWW.USDOJ.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888

Justice Department Issues Guide to

Help Local Governments Meet
Accessibility Needs During Natural and
Civil Emergencies
WASHINGTON - The Justice Department announced today that it has issued a
newly revised and expanded publication to assist local government planners, first
responders, and emergency staff prepare for and meet the unique needs of people
with disabilities during natural and civil emergencies.

An ADA Guide for Local Governments: Making Community Emergency

Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities,
identifies potential problems in notifying, evacuating, transporting, sheltering, and
providing information to people with disabilities during emergencies and offers
commonsense solutions for preventing or minimizing those problems.

“Recent events taught us all that people with disabilities can be among the most
vulnerable members of our communities during an emergency or natural disaster,”
said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. “All
public officials should learn from the lessons of Hurricane Katrina and go forward
better prepared to meet the needs of all of their citizens. We hope local officials will
find this publication valuable and will follow the action steps it describes.”

The Civil Rights Division has made it a priority to work with localities to ensure
that the needs of persons with disabilities are met during an emergency. To date, the
Division has entered into formal agreements with 28 communities under its Project
Civic Access initiative to ensure that local governments include the interests of
persons with disabilities in their emergency planning activities. Communities
including Newark, N.J; Memphis, Tenn.; Arlington and Loudoun Counties, Va.; and
Maui, Hawaii, have begun efforts to include the needs of persons with disabilities in
their emergency preparations. The Department’s revised guidance will provide even
more information to help them.

The illustrated and clearly written 11-page guide can be viewed or downloaded
from the Department’s ADA Web site at http://www.ada.gov or ordered from the
ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 800-514-0383 (TTY).
Information Line staff can answer additional questions about emergency
preparedness or any other ADA topics.

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