Elected-in-charge: Mayor Ted Wheeler
Bureau or Office Director: Shad Ahmed
Summary: We are tracking one report and seven recommendations
We are tracking one report with seven recommendations at Emergency Management. The audit was about disaster planning for people with disabilities. This was a new audit in 2021 and we will follow-up on recommendations in 2022.
Highlight from Last Year
No activity in 2021
To Do
We recommended that Emergency Management develop a plan with performance measures and milestones for achieving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act in emergency management.
Emergency Management: Pandemic highlights City’s long-standing neglect of people with disabilities
Report published December December 12, 2021 | Contact Jennifer Amiott
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City is required to provide equal access to all services, including emergency services. We found that the City was not prepared to meet the needs of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic much less a more physically destructive emergency.
This was a new audit in 2021 and all recommendations are pending.
Pending Recommendation Details
We recommended that Emergency Management lead work with other bureaus and partner agencies to reevaluate the Additional Needs Registry and determine whether the registry should be discontinued. If the City and County decide to keep it, Emergency Management should ensure that the updated registry carries out its stated purposes and complies with Department of Justice guidance, including the ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Government. (Emergency Management: Pandemic highlights City’s long-standing neglect of people with disabilities)
We recommended that Emergency Management develop a plan with performance measures and milestones for achieving compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act in emergency management. (Emergency Management: Pandemic highlights City’s long-standing neglect of people with disabilities)
We recommended that Bureau ensures that staff understand how to meet guidelines listed in ADA Best Practices Tool Kit for State and Local Government. (Emergency Management: Pandemic highlights City’s long-standing neglect of people with disabilities)
We recommended that the Bureau hire or designate Emergency Management staff to cultivate Americans with Disabilities Act expertise and compliance and ensure they have the authority and resources needed to carry out their duties. (Emergency Management: Pandemic highlights City’s long-standing neglect of people with disabilities)
We recommended that the Bureau formalize the inclusion of a disability advisor in the Emergency Coordination Center command structure and operating procedures. The disability advisor should have Americans with Disabilities Act and emergency management expertise and the authority needed to address disability concerns. (Emergency Management: Pandemic highlights City’s long-standing neglect of people with disabilities)
We recommended that the Bureau use the authority of the Disaster Policy Council and Emergency Management Steering Committee to ensure that citywide emergency management planning and response complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It should also coordinate with City Council to formalize a disability advisor role for both oversight bodies. (Emergency Management: Pandemic highlights City’s long-standing neglect of people with disabilities)
We recommended that the Bureau take responsibility for coordinating emergency preparedness outreach to people with disabilities on behalf of the City and develop a strategy that includes long-term and short-term goals for emergency preparedness education and outreach to people with disabilities. (Emergency Management: Pandemic highlights City’s long-standing neglect of people with disabilities)
Data Notes
At the end of every audit report, we issue a series of recommendations intended to make programs work even better. This report includes the status of Bureau recommendations since 2018, which was the beginning of our new follow-up process. We prepared it with a few audiences in mind:
- City Council can use it to identify bureaus that may need additional resources or support in order to implement recommendations.
- Bureau directors can use it to assess bureau performance and to determine if any changes in policy or procedure are necessary.
- Bureau management and staff can use it to track recommendation status across audits to develop work plans and priorities.
- General public can use it to monitor the status of recommendations related to topics of interest and to compare performance across bureaus.
This report includes recommendation status as of December 31, 2021.
Translated reports
Reports from this year and most of 2021 are available in four languages: Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Russian. We are translating new reports as they’re released, but older reports may not be available in a language other than English. If you would like to request a translated version of a report, please contact Leslie Chaires.
Links
Emergency Management: Pandemic highlights City’s long-standing neglect of people with disabilities