The Story of Beautiful Girl

The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The teaser in the cover had attracted my eyes, especially with a deaf charater, a character with a developmental disability, an old woman content in her life; all became chaotics with a newborn baby. The reading would keep you hanging in there, wanting to know what happens next; it's not easy to put aside to sleep or work. Heartfelt, thought-provoking, and despite the despair, you find glimpses of hope and determination to live for the baby and love. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT- if you have ten books to read for the year, I beg you to include this book on the list!



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New Orleans and Hurricane Gustav

I'm worried, especially with what is going on in New Orleans at this moment- So far from what I could read of articles from NOLA news and CNN news, most of folks are evacating from New Orleans, in steady flows with public transportation (buses, vans, trains and planes), which includes helping elderly and disabled getting out of the city. The last plane leaves at 6pm tonight from NOLA airport. At some pickp-up locations, the last bus leaves at 2pm from what I understand.

On the other hand, I read an article just a few minutes ago, that some are still unable to leave, such as two brothers trying to get a van to come pick their handicapped cousin, but the van did not show up (don't know if the van had yet showed up so far...), several workers saying that they don't have the funds for where they could stay if they do get out of New Orleans, a woman not leaving due to her two Rottweilers (and who could blame her? Pets are very much part of our families) and so on. ("Strapped for cash, some in New Orleans stay and hope" - CNN news)

There is an article on NOLA news about Shari Bernius of Deaf Action Center ensuring that there is access to communcation for the deaf community in New Orleans, as in being the interpreter at emergency announcements (on television since usually emergency announcements don't include closed captioning.) Shari said in the article that due to limited access, several deaf had died related to the hurricane/flooding, and several had suffered in confusion afterwards, as I would recall from some conversations with some LA teachers for the deaf and some evacuees in Houston. I am hoping that the Deaf community has better access to evacuation and services on where they could go and where they could stay during the evacation. I'm hoping to get a hold of Red Cross to find out about what they are doing for the Deaf community this time.

For whoever you are in New Orleans, Deaf or hearing, African-American or white, get out if you can, and for who could not get out for any reasons, try to get to a higher floor and stay alive. We'll pray for you.

Being stronger than bullies

It has been more than 25 years ago when I had been bullied, throughout elementary to high school. Just to think that it had been that long ago, yet we still have bullies skulking in hallways of schools even in 2008, looking for prey which would be children/adolescents who could not protect themselves, or be protected by friendships or authority.

Just to think about what I had gone through as a victim of bullying, I still could see scars from within myself as well as on my skin. It took me a long while and a therapist in high school to realize that it was not my fault, or that I did not deserve to be hurt this way. I still remember when I was shoved through a bathroom, my face pushed into a mirror, while they took my books out of my bag. I still remember when I was shoved into mud during recess, in my dress on the photograph day. I still remember how a group of girls would threaten to hate/hurt me, unless I exposed myself, in the back of the bus. I still remember how I brought my hamster for show-and-tell, and to find that someone had smothered the hamster while I was away for lunch. I still remember how I woke up from a nap during a school field trip to find that someone had put gum in my hair, and that a teacher had to cut my hair to remove the gum. I still remember no matter how much the teachers would favor me (teacher's pet), the attention of teachers would never protect me from the bullies. It was a tough time for me when at 11-12, I was moved to a sign language program from an oral program, in which students would do me harm, just because I could not sign well as they could. Boys may be mean when hurting me, but it were the girls who could be the most cruel. Whatever I was, of being skinny, being clumsy, not knowing sign language, being deaf, being a girl, being the teacher's pet, being the 'model student', you name it, I might had been bullied just for that 'excuse.' In high school, it did not matter to a bully that I could not understand what she was saying, (hearing bully); she tried to push me down stairs that could end three floors down, if not that I grabbed her arm and the rail on the wall. It cost me a black eye, but better that than broken bones. It did not matter to a bully that I was poor, that the jacket that my grandmother made for me, could keep me warm; she had to take it after school off my back and claim that she did not take it when the teachers confronted her the next day. It did not matter if I loved books more than to hurt other weaker students, the bullies would not give up on hurting me; even if I started to cry, they would call me "crybaby". There was never a win-win situation in any of those times. Even when I became proficient in sign language, I could find myself hurt by hearing bullies. So it did not matter if the bullies were white or African-American, deaf or hearing, girl or boy, using sign language or not, they were ALL bullies alike in that they used violence to harm someone intentionally, knowing that they could get away with it. That is the very wrong we need to address when it comes to bully prevention programs in schools.

I had learned when I finished school, and then went into college, that no matter how one may try to protect oneself, it would have to be from the inner strength from oneself, as well as the awareness and motivation of society to say 'Bullying is NOT okay. We will not STAND for it." There are so many bully awareness and prevention programs in numerous schools. I had observed how often students would stand up for themselves in extreme situations, in the point that they would shoot bullies, as I see in countless articles throughout years. I had been told so many from other victims of bullies, that sometimes they can be protected by the prevention programs especially when bullies are counseled, as well as the victims. Bullies, you see, could be from dysfunctional families, in which they may lash out in school, or that they may not have gotten appropriate discipline or support from families. Recently, I found out that one of my middle school bullies had been sexually abused by her father, and so she had projected her anger and frustrations upon other students, since it was very much easier to do that to peers, than to an adult that could overcome a child repeatedly with his strength. With that awareness of what had happened to her, I confess that I had trouble figuring out whether I wanted to forgive her actions toward me when we were kids, or to understand her history. I could say that due to being Scottish, I could carry a grudge long as I want, but I don't see any point in that. There is no sense in being angry at what had happened to me when I was a child. What I am angry about is that so many children are victims themselves, and that in protecting themselves, or to release anger from within, they harm each other. This vicious cycle could continue as long as children experience trauma and violence from within their own families, and then bring it to school to harm other children.

From my own experiences of being bullied, I learned that it is harder for me to make friends, in fear that I could be betrayed or harmed, even in adulthood. Thankfully so many friends proved me wrong; I have so many friends that love me and support me. In that realization, I learned that I did not have to be a victim anymore. I can be an advocate and push for prevention programs of many unhealthy situations, such as bullying, substance abuse, family violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, neglect of children and vulnerable adults alike. We need to push for bully prevention programs in all schools, including residental schools, private, public, and mainstreamed schools, especially for children who are deaf, or have disabilities such as blindness, mental retardation, CP, or from other countries (immigrants, transit families, and of other cultures). Everyone need to realize that this CAN be prevented. No one deserves to be bullied, be they children or vulnerable adults.

How to help deaf children protect themselves from abuse.

I just read another article- how many articles are there now- probably in thousands if not in millions- of a child dead by abuse. A lot of you know that I strongly encourage awareness of domestic violence and child abuse.

What I found of Child Abuse Statistics and it's very frightening and should be a concern to many. PER WEEK, child protective services agencies in US get over 50,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. 67% of those reports had prompted an investigation, resulting in findings of children being victims of abuse or neglect which came up to average of 2450 children PER day. Do the math... 2450 children PER day for a year- that would be less than 90,000 a year.

Now- think about deaths of children by abuse. According to this site, " An average of nearly four children die every day as a result of child abuse or neglect (1,400 in 2002)." I shudder to think how many died last year (2007).

You know, I have been reading "Mental Health and Deafness" edited by Peter Hindley and Nick Hitson. There is a chapter there about physical and sexual abuse of deaf children. It says that in general, due to less/lack of communication/understanding between the deaf children and parents/caregivers, abuse have been 'silent'; in other words, limited education was given to children how to recognize abuse or how to protect themselves. Also, from the program "The Center for Abuse Prevention and Education for deaf/hard of hearing children" CAPE-DHH was set up after research showed, "The incidence of sexual abuse of deaf/hard of hearing children is estimated to be about 65% to 90% as compared to 10% for hearing boys and 25% for hearing girls."

Also from "Facts on Trauma and Deaf Children" one will find that children with communication disorders are more likely to be harmed/neglected compared to children without those disorders. Facts on Trauma and deaf Children

Not to despair- there IS help for deaf children if one looks. A lot of agencies that work with domestic violence survivors also have resources for children of child abuse and neglect. I found some agencies- there may be more out there that I don't know about. If one knows other agencies- feel free to add the info about them in the comments. DOVE in CO, Advocacy Council for Abused Deaf Children (Los Angeles, CA), Rochester, New York Advocacy Services for Abused Deaf Victims (NY), Oregon's Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services, Family & Children Services (San Jose,CA), Utah Community Center of Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and so on.

I found this site, in which I hope to order a copy. There is a DVD in sign language in which brave children tell of their experiences of physical or sexual abuse and the interventions to take them out of the danger. Here is the link, Kids against child abuse . The DVD title is "Do? Tell! Kids against child abuse" Kudos to Aetna Foundation Children’s Center, the Children’s Advocacy Center in Hartford, Connecticut!

Again- child abuse is not something to dismiss. It can happen anywhere. Keep it in mind that only a little percentage of predators are strangers; that means main numbers of predators/abusers are within the family (father, mother, sibling, aunt/uncle, grandparents, partners, cousins) and caregivers/school (teachers, busdrivers, teacher assistants, residental houseparents). I am not saying all this to scare you off; I am doing this to help you become aware of the risks that deaf children may encounter as they grow through their childhood. Let us preserve their childhood and innocence.

Favorable results for Deaf?

When I read C's comment on Mishka Zena's blog about his challenge about court cases involving deaf people and whether or not they got favorable results, I can think of one. I wrote a paper about him- Donald Lang. It's difficult to get information, but I was fortunate to find an out-of-print copy of "Dummy"(non-fiction) by Ernest Tidyman who did research about Donald Lang and the trial. Donald Lang is African-American, deaf, and mental retarded. He was taken out of school at 2 1/2 years old,and never returned to school. He was kept at home 'til his mom died. The book also provided much background, court appointments/trials and what happened to him in the aftermath. From what I remember, Donald Lang was a suspect in a murder of a woman (due to finding blood on some of his clothes left in his closet) However, due to him not knowing how to speak or even sign or write/read, they couldn't really "talk" with him. He DID gesture about stabbing someone, but the question begged, ...did he SEE someone stabbing the woman or did he stab the woman himself? The lawyer was even deaf, Lowell Myers. He managed to convince the judge to send Donald Lang to a mental hospital in hopes that he would learn sign language. That would help them then try him in trial. He didn't learn much sign language- they felt that his age (20 years old) was too late to learn any type of communication. After six years, they let him go. In a year or so, I believe, there was a murdered woman near where Donald Lang worked. At one time when detectives tried to "interview" Donald Lang- he did his best as I'll read you the paragraph (page 182-183)

"Again, Bertucci(detective) read Donald his rights and again, Donald stared blankly at him. Bertucci then took out his pen and wrote several questions on a piece of paper in large, block letters:
DO YOU READ AND WRITE? DO YOU UNDERSTAND ENGLISH?

Donald grabbed the pen from Bertucci's hand, picked up a blank piece of paper from a table and drew a picture with quick strokes of the pen. It was a curious drawing- crude yet somehow terribly expressive. He drew a jagged line in a shape of a stick and a stick figure. After finishing the stick figure, he pointed to himself, indiciating that he was that figure. at the opposite end of the first jagged line, he drew another stick figure with a curly mass of lines at the top to indicate hair. He made a gesture with his cupped hands to pantomime breasts. The drawing was clear to the policemen. A man and a woman- Donald Lang and "Jane Doe." Donald then drew a jagged, steplike line toward the top of the page, perpendicular to the first line. At the top of these "stairs", he drew a big X. He paused for a moment, looked at the men around him, held up three figures, pointed at the figure of the woman and then crossed the woman out with another large X.
It was an eerie experience. The officers stared at the drawing, not quite knowing what to make of it. They had the feeling that they were looking at the story of a crime, but how to interpret it? Was it a confession? What was the significance of the three fingers Donald had held up? Ther was no answer. The men placed their initials on the drawing..."

A detective took the drawing in for inventoried, as another detective noticed there was some brown strains on one of Donald's socks. When they came back to look, the strain wasn't visible.

I'd like to read you this part in the book that made me nod in agreement. After Donald Lang was found guilty, they had a sentencing then.

"State's Attorney Kavanaugh rose and turned to the Bench. "Your Honor, the defendant, Donald Lang, stands here before this court, tried by twelve jurors. He has been found guilty of the crime of murder, the most serious crime known to man.

There has been much comment and conversation in this case concerning Donald Lang's condition, and that Donald Lang is to be looked upon with pity and mercy because of his affliction. Indeed, any rational human being thinks about his affliction with a sense of pity. However, we often neglect to think about the suffering of the victims of crime, in this case; Earline Brown. No comment is usually made about the murdered dead, since they are not around to tell us of the anguish and suffering which occurred to the at the time their life was being taken from them. Earline Brown had a right to live, as much as anybody in this courtroom. And, for that death, which the defendant has been found guilty of beyond a reasonable doubt, the State would recommend to this court a period of incarceration in the Illinois State Penitentiary for no less than 40 nor more than 80 years."

Donald's lawyer said, "We are not asking for pity or mercy from this court because of Donald's condition. The State attempted to show motive for this alleged murder, that Donald Lang hired the services of a prostitute, that he went to the Viceroy Hotel with her and that she attempted to "rip him off" either to take his money without the service, to perhaps demand more money, or to steal any money Donald might have had on him. This is the motive the State presented to the jury. Now, they are asking this court to send him away for forty to eighty years because perhaps he was defending himself.

"Now, here is a man that has been diagnosed all of his life- he has never been really treated, he has just been diagnosed. If he had as much treatment as he had diagnosis, perhaps he wouldn't be here today, perhaps he could have gotten up on the stand and explained what did occur in that room, perhaps it would have amounted to justifiable homicide, or perhaps manslaughter. We don't know. We are asking the court to take his inability to defend himself into consideration. Not for mercy, not for pity; he has had too much pity. We are asking the court to give him the benefit of the doubt... that he went up there...that he was about to be ripped off...and that he was defending himself. He could not yell for help. Perhaps it was self-defense and he had to defend himself. He had nowhere to yell to, no one to yell to, no way to yell.

"This man may be trainable. We have met in chambers with officials of the Illinois Department of Corrections, and we know that they will set up a program where Donald may be trained. It may well be that he will never be trained. Everyone who has diagnosed his condition has said that he is untrainable; yet we know that he can hold a job, we know that this man is so "untrainable" has learned to live in society, in the ghetto, for twenty-five years and hold a year, even though he is totally illiterate. We are dealing with a capable man, we are dealing with a man who must return to society before he is an old man. We are dealing with a man that must be given a chance to live and die in society, not in prison. I humbly urge this court to impose a minimum sentence of 14 years and a maximum sentence of 16 years. Thank you."

In the end, they figured that it would be cruel to him to put him in jail. They had him taken to Joilet Reception Diagnostic and Special Center to stay for between 14-25 years. At this time, he is released from that mental institution and now lives in a mental institution where he is allowed to work (seems he LOVES to work and be useful) as well as have some freedoms. In this case, I believe he had gotten favorable results due to his deafness, mental retardation and limited communications if any. AND this happened in 1972. Yes there were interpreters in court, there was several psychologists and mental health counselors speaking up about his diagnosis and what they found about Donald's mental, physical and emotional abilities. I don't know about you, but to me, wow... 1972 and they tried to be fair with the guy, because of his inability to speak up for himself (while Daphne Wright was ABLE to speak up for herself if she desired), they tried to help him by giving him opportunities to learn how to learn sign language or at least give him access (while Daphne was able to communicate with interpreters.)

In my perception, they didn't use the "deaf card" or "pity card"..they UNDERSTOOD his inability to understand right and wrong, his incapability to communicate either by speaking, signing or writing and his limitations in what he can do and what he can't, especially with growing up in an hostile neighborhood (ghetto), he survived by having a full-time job (and very helpful and useful as his employers reported at court) and not having ANY method of communication, being the only deaf and mental retarded African-American man at that time and in that neighborhood (that had been popular with rapes, drug abuse, robbery, mugging and murders.)

In some ways, I have to admire that he managed to survive all through that before the murder of the women, and for me to be amazed that Chicago courts actually went out of their way to ensure that the trial was "fair as possible." Did I say that it happened in 1972?

Disability Soapbox

I don't know if this would apply to the deaf community but I would hope that it will give some of you some enlightment how to work with disabled people who may be deaf or hearing.
Now at some requests due to legal issues, I am not going to tell about what happened to me and what caused my permanent/temporary disabilities. When I get the ok, I will write it in a future article but not now. What I would like to talk about what I experienced AFTER I got out of the Spalding rehabitilational hospital.
I had two casts on broken legs (yeah, both), a neck collar and a neck artery clot. Spalding was wonderful. They provided interpreters for physical therapy or meetings with doctors or advocates.

What I WANT to talk about is what I have experienced as a dual disabled person, being deaf AND temporarily disabled in other words, I wasn't able to walk for a long long time. Even now I am using a cane. The injuries left too much damage that one cannot heal "just in a year or less." I found that I had to rely on people to help me go to bathroom, just for a piss or for a sponge bath, to help me get dressed and/or to help me get things I needed (such as food, books, DVDs, stuff to keep me busy.) Now if you think that sounds "relaxing and wonderfully lazy," I am telling you now, it WASN'T. By just a month, I was going nuts. I was bored out of my mind. I don't know but maybe it was because I don't LIKE watching television, I don't LIKE sitting around and doing nothing. Before the accident, I was very active in the community and in my personal life. I went back to college earlier than what folks expected. Yes, it meant that I had to go around in a wheelchair on the campus. I didn't mind that. Little I knew what was waiting for me!

Going around in a wheelchair was more challenging physically, mentally AND emotionally. I discovered personally that folks in wheelchairs are MORE invisible than I imagined. It's like the folks out there are saying to themselves, "don't see that woman in the wheelchair, let me get out of that way, I don't want her to brush by me." "If I don't meet her eyes, she'd not ask me for help." "Oh, how awful for her! She is miserable, I know!" I could go on but you get the idea.... There were a lot of folks that'd not even look at me even when I wheeled by; there were a lot of folks who'd LOOK at me as if I was a freak. Sometimes there were folks who thought to help me WITHOUT asking me if I needed help. I got furious with a man who tried to push me (in my wheelchair); it startled me so bad because I was pushing myself, and suddenly the wheelchair picked up speed than I was used to so I immediately knew someone was behind me, pushing me. I slammed down the brakes and he almost flipped over my chair/body. I had to twist my upper body to tell him "thanks, but no thanks!" Mind you, I wouldn't MIND getting help but I feel that one SHOULD ask "do you need help?"

I spoke with many folks in wheelchairs on campus (since now I were at "their eye levels") and they expressed that same thought; to ASK them, instead of pushing help upon them! I also found out that being in a wheelchair can be also hazardous. Twice I had fallen out of the wheelchair because I was too close to the curb (because some students wouldn't make space for me.) One basement classroom was moved to the main floor right away once the professor found out that I was in a wheelchair. Seems that if there was a fire, there'd be no chance for me to get out of the building timely!

Then I got a motorized scooter. The interpeters started to joke that the cops should ticket me for speeding! (20mph isn't so bad but hey, better that than going slow!) Once or twice, I did almost run over someone at the corner because we didn't see each other coming up the corner! But the motorized scooter was much BIGGER than the wheelchair and it caused obstacles, such as not fitting even in HANDICAPPED restrooms or classroom doors! I had to ask for an interpreter or a student to help me hobble into a toilet section or the classroom, leaving the scooter out in the hall (thankfully it was a scooter that can be locked up, like a car.) But it also made me realize two things:

1) Me being deaf AND using a scooter/wheelchair, if there's no interpreter, how could I go down stairs in fire emergencies?

2) Same thing, what if I got stuck somewhere if the handicap van doesn't show up? How do I call someone for help? (that time I didn't have a pager.)

I had encountered both situations and it was very scary. In the fire situation, two guys were nice enough to help carry me down but I had to leave the scooter up there in the third floor. Twice, the handicap van didn't show up at 9pm as it were supposed to come. The first one, the buildings were all closed. The last evening class professor noticed I was stuck, he was nice enough to call the handicap van for me and stayed with me 'til the van showed up. The second time, I didn't have that luck! I had to wait in anxiety and had tears in my eyes 'til a janitor showed up at 945pm and spotted me. He called cops and called the handicap van. Finally a van showed up at 1030pm.

By the time I got to use the crutches, I had gotten used to the "invisibility" of being a disabled person. Now I found out that one using crutches are more dangerous than I expected! There are a lot of things out there that can easily trip someone with crutches! An excited dog, some students playing frisbee, someone pushing a chair out and not seeing me coming, the "rush hour" of students between classes as well as puddles in restrooms, ice on sidewalks and mud in the parking lots. Dangers! It was only when I get to sit, I'd release a long and exhausted sigh in relief that I'm safe until it's time to encounter the obstacles again an hour or so later!
Now I am using a cane and it's not so bad, thro I do have to deal with an excited dog, ice on sidewalks or extreme winds now and then. I am even thankful that I graduated last semester so I'd not have to deal with extra obstacles!

Nevertheless, all that experiences had taught me many things. I have better respect for people in wheelchairs- they have to deal with obstacles, even in areas that are NOT handicapped-accessed. They prefer that we see them as people, not "things". I have even got LOOKS from parents with kids as "don't come close, I don't want my kid to get what you get!"
I learned that disabled people don't WANT pity or even sympathy. We deserve dignity and respect. If I could have a dime for everytime I heard "I'm so sorry!" "Must be awful for you!" "You have the right to be sad!" "I know exactly how you feel," trust me, I'd be a multibillionaire by now! DON'T PRESUME to KNOW how we feel, think or experience!!! If you want to know how to interact with disabled folks, ASK them, talk with them NORMALLY and don't treat them "differently."

So, the bottom line is.... it doesn't matter if you're deaf or hearing- just please...Treat the folks in wheelchairs, crutches, canes or having physical or mental disabilities as if you'd WANT to be treated. Respect them as you'd WANT to be respected. ASK them, instead of presuming they need help!
okay..now I'd need help getting off the soapbox here, please?

Disabled community and Disasters

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, disabled people found themselves futhermore disabled. A deaf man walked through the flood waters carrying a legless man on his back for hours before they found firm ground. A pair of brothers was found at their uplifted house, not aware of the hurricane or the flooding because they are deaf and blind. Several deaf families seeked help at the Superdome but no one understood them. At the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, a single interpreter was run into exhaustion going forth and back between two buildings where the deaf evacees were placed. Elderly, unable to flee the floodings, died in the nursing homes.

Over and over through time in the United States, people with disabilities have been overlooked in natural or man-made disasters. Several agencies are concerned about this matter, especially after September 11, 2001. The National Council on Disability, the United States Department of Transportation, the President's committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, and Americans with Disabilities advocates are among the agencies that focus on people with disabilities-related concerns, such as employment, physical and mental health and, of course, natural and/or man-made disasters. Those agencies work toward the goal of improving emergency preparedness for individuals with disabilities.

The National Council on Disability and the Anneberg Washington Program studied what is needed for the emergency preparedness of people with disabilities. Mainly the agency found that barriers for disabled people continue because any new information or accessible lessons developed during former disasters are not put into future preparedness and planning. After any disasters, disabled people have limited or no access to emergency centers; the distribution of much needed water and food may be inaccessible to people in wheelchairs, for example. Limited access to communication is often found during and after the disaster, making it harder for the individuals with disabilities, especially with deafness. Interpreters reported that more often than not, evacees staying at the convention center had to listen to the continuous announcements from the public address system while the deaf people had no idea what was going on unless an interpreter was there. The deaf evacees were a week behind in receiving needed services at the Astrodome due to limited communication. During disasters, electricity could be shut down and that can be incapalitating for people relying on respirators, and/or motorized wheelchairs. A woman with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis was carried 68 flights of stairs by two heroic men right after the first plane hit the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 because she could not use her motorized wheelchair or the elevator.

Red Cross and FEMA have been criticized by people with disabilities because those agencies do not consider the disabled people when disasters occur. Often these agencies set up evacuation centers or shelters that are inaccessible to people with disabilities. Interpreters reported that when the hurricane predicted to hit Texas, they volunteered to drive a deaf group to a shelter that was handicapped-accessible, but when they arrived there, the shelter was full. So they were sent to another shelter and another before they finally found a shelter for the deaf group. However, nothing was put aside for them such as cots or food. So the interpreters used their pagers to contact the deaf community for help and the deaf community was very happy to donate air mattresses, food and blankets.

Blanck identified key issues that need to be tackled for the people with disabilities. The key issues are 1) ensure that there are accessible locations and services; 2) that the communication and information is accessible to the victims; 3) assure that information for caregivers is reliable and accessible; 4) working with media; 5) working with the disability community; 6) preparing and training for future disasters; and 7) setting up universal design/access and strategies. To explain further the goals are to ensure that the information is accurate and that the people with disabilities get needed supplies and equipment. First, the shelters, evacuation centers and distribution locations(food, water and services) are to be accessible for the people with disabilities. Second, the disabled victims need access to communication and information. For example, they may need to know if other relatives or friends are safe, or if they are to be put in housing. Third, the rescue and crisis intervention personnel need to know where the people are, in order to ensure that they have appropriate tools (such as an interpreter), and track the people for appropriate treatment. Fourth, involving the media will get more attention for the needs for the people with disabilities. After the flooding killed the elderly, media alerted the public and so there was an investigation into on if the elderly could have been safely evacuated before the hurricane hit. Also FCC is responsible to ensure that information is accessible to people with disabilities, including closed captioning during emergencies. Fifth, the disability organizations need to work with rescue, relief, media and state organizations to educate these agencies about the special needs of the disabled community and work together on setting up preparedness plans. Sixth, the rescue and relief organizations need to know what medical gear they will need and how to use this equipment. An example would be how to set up insulin pumps for diabetic people. Seventh, the federal and state government working with the rescue organizations in setting up universal design. This will greatly help and make activities smoother for the volunteers, doctors, rescue folks, as well for the people with and without disabilities.

After the Northridge earthquake, the San Francisco Independent Living Resource Center set up tips for people with disabilities. They have a website and pamphets that are available for the public to read and use. For the mobile challenged, the list includes storing a battery for the motorized wheelchair and a backup equipment such as a walker, crutches or cane. The deaf individual is advised to install visual smoke alarms, and to have written communication to be used for emergency personnel; as well as storing batteries for the TDD (Telecommunication Device for Deaf.) The agency also suggests that the disabled individuals set up a network for personal support. In that in mind, if an emergency occurs, someone can check upon the individual and provide assistance if wanted. Also suggestions are to have a self-assessment on what the individual is able and unable to do in emergencies (such as a person depending on a wheelchair may be unable to go down the stairs yet able to use the phone to ask for assistance.)

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, programs ensuring safety for disabled people in emergencies is required of the local governments. The guide says that the government needs to work with the disabled community in planning and educating the public how to work with the rescue and relief organizations and in turn the rescue and relief organizations need to learn how to work with the disabled community in how to communicate, provide appropriate equipment, and provide appropriate shelters if needed.

The bottom line is that many improvements are needed to be done for the people with disabilities in case of emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. If not for the two men, Tina with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis would have died in the World Trade Center. If not for the interpreters at the Astrdome, the deaf evacuees would not have "heard" the announcements for housing, food and registration information. Without the accessible information and volunteers, those individuals would experience a disaster of their own within the natural/man-made disaster.

References:

An ADA guide for Local Government: Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities.
Http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/emergencyprep.htm

Blanck, Peter David. Disaster Mitigation for People with Disabilities: Fostering a New Dialogue.
Http://www.annenberg.northwestern.edu/pubs/disada/

Lathrop, Douglas. Disaster! If you have a disability, the forces of nature can be meaner to you than anyone else, but you can fight back. Be prepared.
Http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/independentliving/disaster.htm

Quigley, Mark. National Council on Disability Calls for Immediate Changes in Emergency Planning for People with Disasters.
Http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/news/2005/r05-486.htm

Parks, Louis B. and Warren, Karen. Unable to hear, many were left lost.
Http://www.chron.com/disp/story/mpl/front/3348415.html

Earthquake tips for People with Mobility Disablities. Earthquake Tips for Hearing Impaired.
Http://www.preparenow.org/eqtmdis.html and Http://preparenow.org/deaf/html

Written by Jules