Hurricane Katrina - 10 Ways to Disability Relief UPDATED

With special thanks to M. Johnson.

1. Let people in need know they should apply for assistance through FEMA, state their specific needs and identify their disability.

Financial:

1/800-621-FEMA 1/800-462-9029 1/800-462-7585 TDD/TYY http://www.fema.gov/register.shtm (on-line registration)
Unemployment, http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/

Other Resources:

Education, http://www.ed.gov/news/hurricane/index.html
HUD, 1-888-297-8685
Medicaid & Medicare, http://www.cms.hhs.gov/katrina/
All Government Benefits, http://www.govbenefits.gov
Local Resources, United Ways 211, http://www.211.org/

2. Send a message and/or card to ILCs and other disability rights groups in effected areas like AL (example, Mobile), LA (statewide, no snail mail inNew Orleans), MS (statewide) & TX (example, Houston). If offering money,items or time, be specific.

ILCs at http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html

3. Coordinate your efforts at all levels.

FEDERAL LEVEL

Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities,

http://www.dhs.gov/disabilitypreparedness.html
Daniel W. Sutherland, Chairperson
Daniel.Sutherland@dhs.gov
(202) 772-9816

Olegario "Ollie" D. Cantos VII, Chairperson TA and Outreach Subcommittee Ollie.Cantos@usdoj.gov
(202) 616-7920

GULF STATES

AL

Barbara F. Crozier, Executive Director
Governor's Office On Disability (GOOD)
334-353-4663
barbara.crozier@good.alabama.gov

Birmingham

Daniel G. Kessler, Executive Director
Birmingham Independent Living Center
205-251-2223, ext. 112
205-254-7333, TDD
dgkessle@bellsouth.net
http://www.birminghamilc.org

Mobile

Shannon Shelley-Tremblay
251-460-0301, 108
shannons@ilcmobile.org
shannonstremblay@yahoo.com

LA

Matthew J. Rovira, Executive Director
Governor's Office of Disability Affairs
225-219-7550
225-978-0905
Matt.Rovira@GOV.STATE.LA.US

Baton Rodge

Sandee Winchell, Executive Director
Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council
225-342-6804
225-938-9056 225-342-1970 Fax
swinchel@dhh.la.gov
http://www.laddc.org

Lafayette

Nell Hahn
Advocacy Center
(337) 237-7380 ext. 11
(337) 237-0486 (fax)
nhahn@advocacyla.org
nhahn2@cox.net

Shreveport

Mack J. Marsh, Jr.
Independent Living Services Director
New Horizons Independent Living Center
318-671-8131 ext 108 318-688-7823, Fax
mmarsh@nhilc.org
http://www.nhilc.org

MS

Christy Dunaway, Executive Director
LIFE of Mississippi, Inc.
601-969-4009
601-506-6454
lifeofms@aol.com

Mary Throupe
Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities
(601) 969-0601 (V/TTY)
800-721-7255
mary@mscoalition.com
theopendoor@mscoalition.com
http://www.mscoalition.com

TX

Houston

Sandra Bookman, Executive Director
Houston Center for Independent Living
713-974-4621 Voice/TTY 713-569-4086 713-974-6927 FAX houstoncil@yahoo.com
http://www.coalitionforbarrierfreeliving.com

Elaine Roberts
Advocacy Inc.
eroberts@Advocacyinc.org

David Truran
Advocacy, Inc.
713-974-7691
dtruran@Advocacyinc.org

Arkansas, LA, & TX

ILRU
713-520-0232 (Voice/TTY)
ilru@ilru.org
http://www.ilru.orgForwardSourceID:NT0020C28E

OTHER STATES

National Council on Independent Living with TA from ILRU
John Lancaster, Executive Director
john@ncil.org
(877) 525-3409
http://www.ncil.org/

list of local

ILCs at http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html

ILRU
2323 S. Shepherd, Suite 1000
Houston, Texas 77019
713-520-0232 (Voice/TTY) 713-520-5785 (Fax) 600-949-4232,

if in Arkansas, LA or TX
ilru@ilru.org
http://www.ilru.org

4. Help build disability specific web sites, for example

http://www.katrina-la.net/, Karen Lagrange, karen@kalidust.com,337-407-9201
http://katrinadisability.info/, Susan Fitzmaurice, katrinadisability.info@gmail.com
http://www.ilru.org
http://thearclink.org/news/article.asp?ID=710
http://www.ndrn.org/katrinalinks.htm

5. Offer to provide housing, transportation, food, personal items, etc., register at

https://www.swern.gov/emergency/asset_index.php
http://www.katrina-la.net/, disability specific
http://katrinadisability.info/, disability specific

6. Offer Equipment & Supplies
http://www.fodac.org, Paul Timmons, 843-817-2651, presslord@aol.com

7. Volunteer to assist, register at http://www.katrinadisability.info , scroll down, click on Disability Experts box
https://volunteer.ccrf.hhs.gov/

8. Support disability specific Funds, for example

AIDS, https://secure.ga3.org/03/KatrinaEmergencyFund
ARC, http://www.thearc.org/
Autism, http://www.talkautism.com/
CA Foundation for ILCs, http://www.cfilc.org/site
Diabetes, http://www.cwdfoundation.org/Supplies.htm
Easter Seals, http://www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer
Families Helping Families, LA,http://www.familieshelpingfamilies.net/home.htm
Family Voices, http://www.familyvoices.org/
MS, http://www.nationalmssociety.org/hurricane.asp
NAMI, http://www.nami.org/ or at any Wachovia bank nationwide
(Account #200024603407)
National Down Syndrome, http://www.ndss.org/
NCIL, http://www.ncil.org
Spina Bifida, http://www.sbaa.org
TASH, http://tash.org/
UCP, Houston, http://www.ucphouston.org/

9. Review NCD's, http://www.ncd.gov/ , recommendations, send your social change ideas to Hilary C. Styron, 202-293-5960, 202-955-6320.
StyronH@nod.org

10. Assure people everything will be alright.

Crisis Counseling, 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255)
Children, Connie Wells, Family Voices, cjwells@sprynet.com


For more information and resources on autism, please visit:
http://www.autismconcepts.com/.