Getting It Wrong: An Indictment with a Blueprint for Getting It Right - Edition 1 - May 2018

Aug 30, 2026

A detailed disability-rights assessment of obligations and responsibilities across the full disaster cycle—before, during, and after emergencies—grounded in response experience spanning August 2017 through January 2018. The report critiques failures in equal access, analyzes barriers in federal emergency management and related eligibility and appeal processes, and outlines practical recommendations. It also highlights community partnership competencies and addresses health maintenance needs, including emergency support functions and durable medical equipment continuity.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatDOCX

Pages165

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Acknowledgements

Executive Summary

Recommendations by Section

Part I: Introduction

Purpose of this Report

Audience

Part II: Building and Sustaining Effective Community Partnerships

Community Partnership Competencies

Functional Assessment Service Teams

Part III: Federal Legal Protections of People with Disabilities Before, During, and After Disasters

Part IV: Findings

Overarching Themes

Equal Access to Federal Programs and Services

Maintaining Health

Logo - Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies. Graphic features a sun divided into four icons: a hurricane, a tornado, a thunderstorm and an earthquake Getting It Wrong: An Indictment with a Blueprint for Getting It Right Disability Rights, Obligations and Responsibilities Before, During and After Disasters Edition 1; May 2018 Cover Image: Figure 1: A collage of four images: A) A woman using a wheelchair is assisted through heavy flooding; B) Two people smile for the camera during disaster recovery efforts; C) A man using a wheelchair maneuvers through heavy flooding; D) Supplies are dropped from a helicopter. Authors Marcie Roth June Isaacson Kailes Melissa Marshall, J.D. Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842211" Getting It Wrong: An Indictment with a Blueprint for Getting It Right PAGEREF _Toc514842211 \h 1 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842212" Acknowledgements PAGEREF _Toc514842212 \h 3 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842213" Authors PAGEREF _Toc514842213 \h 5 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842214" Executive Summary PAGEREF _Toc514842214 \h 7 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842215" Recommendations by Section PAGEREF _Toc514842215 \h 10 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842216" Part I: Introduction PAGEREF _Toc514842216 \h 12 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842217" Part I - Section 1: Purpose of this Report PAGEREF _Toc514842217 \h 13 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842218" Audience PAGEREF _Toc514842218 \h 14 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842219" Portlight Strategies and the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies PAGEREF _Toc514842219 \h 14 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842220" Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies Members PAGEREF _Toc514842220 \h 14 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842221" Overview of the August 2017 through January 2018 Disaster Response PAGEREF _Toc514842221 \h 16 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842222" Hotline PAGEREF _Toc514842222 \h 16 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842223" Stakeholder Calls PAGEREF _Toc514842223 \h 17 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842224" Methodology PAGEREF _Toc514842224 \h 18 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842225" The Disasters PAGEREF _Toc514842225 \h 19 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842226" Part II: Building and Sustaining Effective Community Partnerships PAGEREF _Toc514842226 \h 21 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842227" Community Partnership Competencies PAGEREF _Toc514842227 \h 27 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842228" Functional Assessment Service Teams PAGEREF _Toc514842228 \h 29 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842229" Part III: Federal Legal Protections of People with Disabilities Before, During, and After Disasters PAGEREF _Toc514842229 \h 34 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842230" Part IV: Findings PAGEREF _Toc514842230 \h 43 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842231" Part IV - Section 1: Overarching Themes PAGEREF _Toc514842231 \h 45 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842232" Deficiencies in equal access in areas critical to disaster survival and community resilience PAGEREF _Toc514842232 \h 45 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842233" Part IV - Section 2: Equal Access to Federal Programs and Services PAGEREF _Toc514842233 \h 47 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842234" 2.1 Equal Access to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Programs and Services PAGEREF _Toc514842234 \h 48 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842235" 2.1.1 Equal Access to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Programs and Services PAGEREF _Toc514842235 \h 49 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842236" 2.1.2 Equal Access to FEMA Eligibility Process PAGEREF _Toc514842236 \h 50 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842237" 2.1.2.1 Barriers to Equal Access in the FEMA Application Process PAGEREF _Toc514842237 \h 51 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842238" 2.1.2.1.1 Barriers to the application process specific to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands PAGEREF _Toc514842238 \h 51 HYPERLINK \l "_Toc514842239" 2.1.2.1.2 Barriers to the application process that occurred primarily in the territories PAGEREF _Toc514842239 \h 51 HYPERLINK \l

FAQs

What is the document’s main focus across the disaster timeline?

It addresses disability rights, obligations, and responsibilities before, during, and after disasters, emphasizing equal access and continuity of support.

How does the report assess federal legal protections and access issues?

It examines equal access to federal programs and services, including eligibility and appeals processes, and identifies barriers that prevent people with disabilities from receiving assistance.

What types of recommendations and solutions does the report propose?

It provides recommendations by section, covering community partnership building, enforcement of equal access, and maintaining health needs such as emergency support and durable medical equipment.

Aug 30, 2026

Upload by Aria Callaghan