Disability News Service, Resources, Diversity, Americans with Disabilities Act; Local and National.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Chicago's Emergency Preparedness Resources for People with Disabilities and Seniors In An Emergency

Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities
City of Chicago Links and Resources

Notify Chicago is a city service that provides residents with recorded telephone messages, text messages and/or e-mail alerts on various emergency and non-emergency situations taking place throughout Chicago.

Emergency Assistance Voluntary Registry

The City of Chicago’s Voluntary Emergency Assistance Registry (click) was created to provide police, fire and other emergency personnel with important information about the type of assistance people with disabilities and seniors would need in an emergency.



The City of Chicago continues to coordinate partnerships that will strengthen the response, rescue and recovery efforts of first responders as well as assist in protecting Chicago’s critical infrastructure. As such, the Chicago Police Department (CPD), Chicago Fire Department (CFD) and Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) have joined forces to ensure the highest level of preparedness for local businesses through the Chicago’s Public and Private Partnership (CP3) initiative.

The CP3 portal will immediately assist first responders across all agencies in saving time, life and property during an emergency event. The CP3 portal gives the private sector the opportunity to proactively update critical information regarding their infrastructure, such as, floor plans and security operations at their specific locations. The portal provides a one-stop-shop for the private sector and first responders to communicate critical information. Business owners, tenants and members of a facility’s management teams are encouraged to enroll to become a CP3 partner.

Federal Emergency and Management Agency (FEMA)
Links and Resources


The ready.gov website has a section focused on preparedness information for people with disabilities or functional needs. It includes an instructional video as well as the brochure “Prepared for Emergencies Now: Information for people with Disabilities” (copy of brochure attached).

Ready.gov also has basic emergency preparedness resources that may be useful, such as printable wallet cards to write emergency contact numbers or other information on.

Spanish language version of ready.gov can be found at www.listo.gov

Illinois Emergency Management Agency Sign Language

Preparedness Videos
www.illinois.gov/ready/multi-media/Pages/AmerSign.aspx 

ASL videos on topics such as making a plan, building a kit, getting trained, volunteering, sheltering in place, going to a shelter, planning for people with functional needs, and planning for evacuations.
Accessible Communication 4 All

This site includes downloadable sheets of common emergency terms with pictures and/or words.
Feeling Safe Being Safe

Tools developed by and for people with disabilities: This site includes a workbook that will help individuals to make an emergency plan, a video that demonstrates how to complete the workbook and put together a home emergency kit, and a printable magnet to post important emergency contact information on the refrigerator for first responders.

Information posted as shared by the City of Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) ...

# previous posted May 2014, all links are up to as of the repost.

Friday, May 25, 2018

History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday, which is currently observed every year on the last Monday of May, originated as Decoration Day after the American Civil War in 1868, when the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans founded in Decatur, Illinois, established it as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the Union war dead with flowers. By the 20th century, competing Union and Confederate holiday traditions, celebrated on different days, had merged, and Memorial Day eventually extended to honor all Americans who died while in the military service.. (Wikipedia)




"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."  President John F. Kennedy