An individual with a disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment (DOJ, 2009).
The term “access and functional needs” refers to a set of broad, cross-cutting access and function-based needs. Access-based needs require ensuring that resources are accessible to all individuals.Function-based needs refer to restrictions or limitations an individual may have that require additional assistance before, during, and/or after an emergency (ASPR, 2015). Individuals with access and functional needs may include, but are not limited to:
- Children
- Older adults
- Persons with limited English proficiency
- Persons with limited access to transportation
Public Health Planning Toolkit for At-Risk Individuals with Access and Functional Needs
The Public Health Planning Toolkit for At- Risk Individuals with Access and Functional Needs is a compilation of resources, geared toward local public health planners, to assist in public health preparedness planning for individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.
Emergency Preparedness Data Report Builder
The interactive Emergency Preparedness Data Report (EPDR) builder is a curated set of data indicators, contextualized content, and resources within the Massachusetts Population Health Information Tool (PHIT) platform. It offers preparedness planners critical information for supporting health equity and enhancing inclusive community planning activities.
The EPDR builder allows users to easily create and share custom reports as well as export data for advanced analysis. The report presents over 25 relevant data indicators, including electrically dependent Medicare beneficiaries, language spoken at home, computer and internet access, and social vulnerability. Users can view data by city/town, county, PHEP coalition, and HMCC region. When available, data is presented with demographic information such as age, sex, and race and Hispanic ethnicity.
The EPDR was created through a collaboration between the DPH Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management and the DPH Office of Population Health with input from community partners.
Communication tools
Tools and templates to facilitate communication to and with individuals who may have difficulty communicating in an emergency.