National Council on Disability to Hear Presentations from Regional Leaders on Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness

Sept. 29, 2008

WASHINGTON—The National Council on Disability (NCD) will hear presentations and discuss homeland security and emergency preparedness issues for people with disabilities on Monday, October 6, 2008, from 10:30 a.m. until noon, at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center, 2345 McGee Street, Kansas City, Missouri.

Emergency preparedness speakers include:

Glen White, Ph.D., Director, Nobody Left Behind Project, Kansas University, Lawrence, KS

Charles Duddy, Emergency Preparedness Director, Gladstone, MO

Karen Benson, Patient Assistance Coordinator, Missouri Rehabilitation Center, Mount Vernon, MO

Public comment sessions will be held Monday, October 6 from 9:00 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. C.D.T. and on Tuesday, October 7 from 4:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. C.D.T., and NCD invites members of the public to share their experiences regarding emergency preparedness during those sessions too.

In 2003, NCD committed to evaluating government’s developing role in the areas of homeland security, emergency preparedness and disaster relief for people with disabilities. This commitment occurred, in large measure, as a result of the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent creation of the Department of Homeland Security. NCD’s first evaluation findings were issued in April 2005 in the report, Saving Lives: Including People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning. (/newsroom/publications/2005/saving_lives.htm).

Under the Homeland Security Appropriations bill (H.R. 5441), which contains the Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act, signed by President Bush on October 4, 2006, NCD was assigned key responsibilities for disability-related issues in homeland security.

The homeland security and emergency preparedness discussions are part of NCD’s quarterly meeting that begins on Monday, October 6 at 8:30 a.m. and concludes on Wednesday, October 8 at 11:00 a.m. at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center, Kansas City, MO. A reception will be held at the hotel for meeting participants, audience members, and stakeholders from the disability community on Tuesday, October 7 immediately following the day’s session.

NCD is an independent federal agency and is composed of 15 members appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. We provide advice to the President, Congress, and executive branch agencies to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability; and empower individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.