Disabled students worry about emergency procedures

During an emergency, most of us know what to do — take the stairs, get out as soon as possible and don't panic. However, for those with disabilities, the information on what to do is scarce, police officials and disabled students said.

Emergency procedures for those with disabilities are entirely based on prior planning. The university's emergency preparedness website says disabled students should notify their professors, director and department heads that they may need help during an emergency and ask for assistance if they aren't able to evacuate on their own.

"At this time, my understanding is it is up to the individual student and professors to help them out of the building [in an emergency]," said junior American studies major Aaron Kaufman, who has cerebral palsy and usually uses a wheelchair. "Professors are not knowledgeable and could cause serious damage if they try to move a student."

Disabled students complain they don't receive enough information on emergency procedures and follow-up on directions that are given out is rare.

Women's studies graduate student Angel Miles, who uses a wheelchair and lives alone in a South Campus Commons apartment, is concerned about her safety during emergencies.

No firefighter, police officer or university employee came to check on her during the several fire alarms pulled in her building last semester, and she had to use the elevator to evacuate, Miles said.

"This is something I think about occasionally, since I'm in a very vulnerable position," Miles said. "Unless there is an able-bodied person who can tell emergency personnel that disabled people are in the building, we won't get out."     

Miles also said when the fire alarm goes off in her room, an accompanying alarm goes off at the front desk to let them know that a disabled person occupies that room and needs to be checked on. However, when the alarm went off this semester, no one came for more than 10 minutes because they did not know what the alarm meant. Eventually, a resident director came to make sure she was all right, Miles said.

"I hope they do not wait until something bad happens," Miles said. "The university needs to be more proactive instead of reactive to disability issues."

Campus police admit they need to step up their efforts in educating the disabled population on emergency procedures.

"This is probably an area we need to work on," Maj. Jay Gruber of the public safety department said. "We do a good job on emergency preparedness for the general campus, but in terms of targeting the disabled population, we can do a better job."

Gruber urged those with disabilities to take the elevator in non-fire emergencies and to wait at a fire escape landing during a fire. Public Safety had taken it for granted that people know the correct procedures to follow, Gruber said.

Miles said she only knows to go to stair landings because of evacuation practices at her government job, not through the university's efforts.

Disabilities Support Services is aware of the need for increased information on emergency preparedness for students with disabilities, Director Jo Ann Hutchinson said.

"We had a presentation by a person in the Police Department on emergency preparedness, and I am also reviewing how other universities have established their procedures and am passing that along to the police department," Hutchinson said.  

Some disabled students feel the university needs to do more to help them feel safer on the campus in more ways than just emergency preparedness.

"I think that the university is not educated about disability awareness in general, and emergency preparedness is just part of it," Miles added. "The ownership shouldn't be only people with disabilities, but it should be 50-50 between us and the university."

desmarattes at umdbk dot com