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The Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is tasked with overseeing the work of the Interagency Coordinating Council. As head of this Office, Daniel Sutherland works closely with the Council in its efforts to ensure that the nation’s emergency preparedness plans are as comprehensive as possible with regard to individuals with disabilities.

Serving as a civil rights attorney for most of his career, Sutherland was appointed by President Bush in April of 2003 to serve as the DHS Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. In this position, Sutherland provides legal and policy advice to the Secretary of DHS and the senior officers of the Department on a full range of civil rights and civil liberties issues—including disability rights. Sutherland has extensive civil rights experience, including handling several major disability discrimination lawsuits; this background establishes him as an ideal candidate for the role he plays in the Interagency Coordinating Council.

Sutherland shares his thoughts regarding this initiative in this Interagency Coordinating Council Spotlight interview.

Mr. Sutherland, since the events of September 11th, emergency preparedness has become an important issue for all Americans. What are some of the unique challenges that people with disabilities face in emergencies?

While we have made great strides over the past few years in improving emergency preparedness, there are special challenges faced by individuals with disabilities that have not been fully addressed. For example, the person who uses a wheelchair and works in a multi-story building must find a way to evacuate; or the person who is deaf needs information about when to evacuate, where to evacuate and information on how to deal with the aftermath of an emergency in a format that is accessible, such as closed captioning. There are, of course, many other examples - people who need oxygen while in a temporary shelter, assisting people with Alzheimers who must be evacuated during a disaster and many more. We have to develop innovative ways to address the various needs of individuals with disabilities.

What is the Interagency Coordinating Council trying to accomplish?

Executive Order 13347, issued by President Bush in July 2004, created the Council and charged us with ensuring the Federal Government accounts for the needs of individuals with disabilities in our emergency planning. The Council also was instructed to facilitate cooperation among Federal, State, local and tribal governments, and private organizations in the development and implementation of emergency preparedness plans that fully address the needs of individuals with disabilities. We are identifying gaps in current emergency preparedness plans and sharing the best practices that have been developed across the country to support the safety and security of all Americans.

Will the Interagency Coordinating Council be soliciting the help of the disability community in this work?

Absolutely. The Council is actively receiving input from the disability community through the Citizen Corps, which has established a subcommittee of national disability consumer organizations. This committee has been meeting with us for several months. We believe the integration of individuals with disabilities at all levels of the emergency planning process, including drills and exercises, is the most effective way to ensure those needs are addressed. The energy, determination and skills that people with disabilities bring to these issues are a huge asset to our nation’s broader emergency preparedness effort.

In addition, we plan on expanding the Council’s outreach and partnership to include other segments of the private sector to encourage a collaborative exchange of expertise and input among leaders of the various first responder disciplines, emergency management personnel, volunteer and non-profit organizations—including disability consumer organizations—on issues and concerns related to emergency preparedness.

What types of programs has the Interagency Coordinating Council implemented?

We have recently implemented some very important programs. For example, the Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Disability Employment Policy led a team to develop a comprehensive template of guidelines on effective workplace emergency preparedness plans for Federal departments and agencies. We also launched the Disability Preparedness Resource Center Web site which provides helpful emergency preparedness resources and information focusing on individuals with disabilities. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in leading a team focusing on emergency communication issues and will be issuing new policies and launching outreach efforts to ensure that facilities providing Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) for persons with hearing and speech disabilities are designated a priority for restoration of service in case of an emergency or disaster. Also, the FCC is working to make the Emergency Alert System more accessible for people with disabilities.

What is your long term vision of the Interagency Coordinating Council’s role in emergency preparedness efforts for persons with disabilities?

We hope the Council impacts preparedness efforts on all levels, and become a clearinghouse for emergency preparedness, response and recovery best practices. We see the Council stimulating discussion and innovation. By raising awareness and sharing our findings, the needs of individuals with disabilities will become integral elements of the nation’s emergency planning, as opposed to being considered in afterthoughts. I am pleased with our progress so far, and I know we are going to see many constructive and innovative improvements as the Council moves forward.

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Executive Order 13347 - What’s Been Done >>