Development of a Person-Centered Approach to Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities - SBC: Assistech Systems LLC, 72 West Broadway, Suite 206, Eugene OR 97401-3065 Principal Investigator: Tom Keating, PhD Agency: Administration on Community Living/NIDILRR- CFDA 93.433-SBIR Phase II Project Title: Development of a Person-Centered Approach to Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Long Range Plan Domain: Community Living and Participation Technical Abstract People with disabilities face significant challenges in emergency preparedness and response, leading to a disproportionate negative impact during disasters. This project addresses these health equity issues by focusing on inclusivity, accessibility, and individualized approaches to emergency preparedness. The applicant proposes to build on its Phase I development of a prototype Our Phase I project developed and demonstrated the usability and promise of a prototype Person-Centered System for Emergency Preparedness (PSEP) to improve the ability of individuals to access and understand essential information, self-manage more effectively, communicate their needs in emergency situations, and enable first responders to more readily understand how best to communicate with and support those in need. The Phase II project has two major objectives: ○ Build off the Phase I prototype to develop a product-ready system based on the CMIST framework (Communications, Maintaining Health, Independence, Support, Safety & Self-Determination, and Transportation) to guide emergency and public health preparedness planners and practitioners in addressing the major domains of need for individuals and populations with disabilities and other access and functional needs (Mace,et al., 2018, Wolf-Fordham, 2022). ○ Conduct iterative development and evaluation of the product-ready system through partnerships with the Arc of Lane County and the State of Oregon Health Authority’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Program. Summary of Anticipated Results and Implications The target population for this Phase II project will emphasize individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families served by the Arc of Lane County but will cut across the broader range of individuals with disabilities served by the Oregon Health Authority during Year II product validation. We will also ensure that our project samples include individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. There are two primary outcomes to this project. The first is a commercial product that gives individuals with disabilities a universally designed tool to improve self-management and communication of needs, and to enable formal and informal first responders to more effectively communicate and render aid in an emergency. The second is usability and validation evaluation that will maximize product-market fit. This product will have commercialization potential not only for the target population but for many people with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities as well as older individuals with challenges due to aging.
