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Disaster
Plans for Disabled Students
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Awareness of specific
needs of students with disabilities and partnerships with able-bodied
persons are the keys to safety of severely disabled students during natural
disasters or campus violence. Sacramento County Special Education nurses
worked with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) recommendations
and the School's Insurance Authority but tailored the districts'existing
plans to address specific needs of students, particularly those who are
autistic, physically impaired or medically fragile. A four-part training
and plans for individual campuses facilitated implementation.
First, nurses conducted staff in-service to demonstrate how to adapt a
campus plan to the needs of severely handicapped students and how to fit
the adaptations back into the campus plan, As a result, disabled students
participate in all drills, and specific strategies include wheelchair
evacuations.
Second, each classroom has a stocked emergency kit with extra supplies
specific to each student's needs. Due to storage concerns, the nurses
decided to not stock a 24-hour medication supply.
Next, classroom inspections were made by a team including a Special Education
nurse. The visit included discussion about specific kinds of disasters
and yielded recommendations for classroom repairs or supplies.
Finally, all school staff are trained in basic first aid (one hour class
taught by a special education nurse) and CPR. Annual campus inspections
and discussions about local plans are scheduled for follow-up.
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