Photo by Eric Purcell.
A class action lawsuit alleges that D.C.’s emergency planning doesn’t adequately serve people with disabilities.
Filed by three individuals, the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and disability rights advocates, the lawsuit lists alleged issues with the planning “from the District’s failure to publicize any information about accessible emergency shelters, failure to plan for emergency communications to persons who are deaf and blind, failure to put accessible evacuation options in place, and failure to plan for supply chain disruptions for medication and replacement durable medical equipment.”
“We’re very concerned that wheelchair users are underserved in the nation’s capital, and potentially in grave danger during the next disaster,” Alexandra Bennewith of United Spinal, which serves veterans with disabilities, said in a release. “We must do something now to fix this problem, before it is too late.”
Emergency planning is handled by D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. An emergency checklist for seniors and people with disabilities is available through the site.
According to an HSEMA accountability report [PDF] from fiscal year 2010, the agency “worked with the District’s Office on Disability Services to ensure awareness about the city’s emergency response plan, the District Response Plan, and agencies who support the plan and their roles in emergency response.” More recent HSEMA accountability reports do not specifically mention a plan for people with disabilities.
A spokesperson for D.C.’s Office of the Attorney General said HSEMA will respond to the suit in court.
One of the defendants, Geraldine Hassell, is blind and a senior citizen. According to the suit, Hassell depends on MetroAccess transit, which is shut down in severe weather, and is “concerned that she would not be able to obtain accessible public transportation away from areas of the District impacted by a disaster.”
