WASHINGTON — Responding to an emergency that is man-made or a natural disaster is difficult for any family or individual.
But it can be even more challenging for people with disabilities and their caregivers, especially if they aren’t getting the information they need.
This week, a mother of a son with special needs testified before the Senate Special Committee on Aging about her family’s difficulty getting reliable emergency information from local authorities.
Annie Lloyd and her family live in Darlington, Pennsylvania, which sits about five miles away from where a train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio in February.
“It became very clear to me that finding reliable information to keep our family out of harm’s way would be difficult,” said Lloyd.
Lloyd’s nine-year-old son Teddy has autism and symptoms of anxiety and ADHD.
She said she sent him to school the morning of the explosion since the school was farther from the derailment site than their home.
They later learned the school had been evacuated.
“We needed clear communication from authorities with intimate knowledge of the train derailment of what the danger was and who needed to take active steps in protecting themselves,” said Lloyd. “Evacuating disabled kids from their schools and hoping that they will navigate their way out of harm’s way in an emergency is simply not enough.”
There is now a bill in Congress aimed at giving people with disabilities and older Americans more of a voice in emergency situations.
It’s dubbed the Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion for Disasters Act, known as the REAADI Act.
According to the bill’s sponsors, it would ensure there is “a strong disability and older adult voice in the preparation, response, recovery and mitigation of disasters.”
It would also work to ensure there’s enough training and resources for agencies so they know how to protect these vulnerable populations in emergencies.
“Whether it’s a pandemic, a natural disaster or a human made emergency, older adults and people with disabilities need to be considered in both planning and response,” said Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), sponsor of the Senate bill.
Republicans on the committee, meanwhile, argued Congress needs to ensure emergency federal funding doesn’t go to waste, so that it can get to the people who need it most.
Another proposal focuses on giving Congress back more power to end national emergencies like a pandemic.
“The federal government should do more to plan ahead for emergencies and change the trajectory for emergencies especially to protect older Americans and those with disabilities,” said Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN).
As for Lloyd, her focus was ensuring lawmakers walked away with a clear understanding of her message about getting families the information they need quickly.
“Senators, we desperately need more reliable information,” said Lloyd. “I am asking you as a mother of a son with a disability, and a friend of many disabled people, all of whom make unique remarkable contributions to our communities, to put forth a comprehensive accommodation plan for our disabled citizens for times of emergencies and disasters.”
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