Arkansas Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities

inclusion. integration. independence.

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To remain ready to assist the Arkansas disability community during the disaster response and recovery for areas affected by the 03/31/23 storms, the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities Arkansas staff’s deputy director continues to participate in the FEMA Region 6 Arkansas Disability and Access and Functional Needs Stakeholders Group. Currently, the group meets weekly via Zoom to discuss response and recovery efforts for the current disaster and keep each other up to date. These calls are facilitated by the FEMA Region 6 Disability Integration Specialist for Arkansas. The FEMA Region 6  office is located in Denton, TX, and partners with federal emergency management for 68 Tribal Nations and the following states: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

Persons with Access and Functional Needs are those individuals with function-based needs (related to a restriction or limited ability to perform activities normally considered routine) that may require assistance before, during, and /or after a disaster or an emergency. The Arkansas Disability and Access and Functional Needs Stakeholders Group (for emergency preparedness and emergency response) includes representatives from key agencies and organizations who serve the Arkansas disability community or advocate for Arkansans with functional and access needs (or disabilities). Examples of these organizations and/or agencies are (but not limited to): the Department of Commerce – Workforce Services/Rehabilitation Services, Division of Services for the Blind, iCAN the Arkansas Assistive Technology Program; the Department of Health; the Department of Human Services; the Department of Public Safety – Division of Emergency Management; Disability Rights Arkansas; the Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies; the Red Cross; the State Council on Developmental Disabilities; the State Independent Living Council.

You can visit this website for updates on FEMA Region 6 Response and Resources https://www.fema.gov/about/organization/region-6 . When you reach the FEMA R6 site, scroll down toward the bottom of the page and look for the header “Regional News and Information”.