The events of 2020 and early months of 2021have upended and disrupted everyone’s lives, but the impact on the lives of people with disabilities and older adults is particularly pronounced. It is now clear that planning ahead for emergencies is a must-do, particularly for those who rely on long-term services and supports for their daily wellbeing. What does person-centered planning for disasters look like? And how do we ensure that disaster responses are as person-centered as possible? In this panel, experts will describe what we have learned from recent events so we can be better equipped to respond to future disasters in a person-centered manner. Experts will also weigh in on the difference between personal planning and community planning, and why personal planning is never a substitute for comprehensive whole-community emergency preparedness, disaster response and recovery, and truly inclusive community resilience.
Korian "Koko" DeMont Thomas was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and identifies as Black DeafBlind. Thomas earned a Bachelor of Social Work degree specializing in HIV education and a Master of Public Administration, both from Gallaudet University, and a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of North Texas. He has been an advocate of the DeafBlind community for more than 20 years.
Marcie Roth is Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer for the World Institute on Disability, one of the first global disability rights organizations founded and continually led by people with disabilities. Ms. Roth has been establishing and leading coalitions committed to operationalizing disability inclusion as an intersectional imperative for global social justice since 1995. Ms. Roth joined WID in 2019, bringing her lifelong commitment to advancing the rights of over one billion people with disabilities and expanding disability leadership locally, nationally and globally.
Marcia Montague is a Clinical Assistant Professor in Special Education at Texas A&M University. Her research and service interests focus on equity in access for individuals with disabilities, including family empowerment, disaster preparation, and disaster recovery. She has nine years of special education experience teaching students with a wide range of disabilities. Her efforts support partnerships with surrounding school districts and work with many Local Authorities on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (LIDDAs) in Texas.
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