Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling
Spring 2014, Vol. 45 Issue 1, p3-10. 8p.

National Module for Helping Individuals with Physical Disabilities In Disaster Events.
Author(s): Kettaneh, Amani A.; Slevin, John R.
Abstract:
Disasters can have potentially devastating consequences that may result in injury and loss of life for those who are unprepared for such emergencies. Preparation for sudden disasters is very important to protect the lives and health of people in any location. For individuals with mobility disabilities, disasters create more challenges and physical barriers in the resulting environment. Recent catastrophic events have demonstrated a disproportionate effect of emergency evacuations on individuals with physical disabilities. Most of the existing evacuation procedures are unfortunately not taking people with disabilities into consideration. This paper provides a national module with four stages (protective, preventive, rescue, and reconstructive) to serve individuals with physical disabilities in disaster events.