U.S. Labor Department Issues Report on Emergency
Preparedness for Federal Workers with Disabilities

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Labor Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) today released a report that gives federal officials and workers key advice and comprehensive recommendations on ensuring a safe and secure environment for the more than 120,000 employees with disabilities who work in buildings, regional offices or field locations owned or leased by the federal government.

The 80-page report, Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities: An Interagency Seminar of Exchange for Federal Managers, concludes that communicating with employees is paramount to developing, implementing and maintaining emergency plans that address the unique needs of employees with disabilities. It urges senior-level management “buy-in” and a total budget and personnel commitment by each agency. It recommends agencies build flexibility into their plans for evacuating and assisting people with disabilities by instituting backup emergency support plans. Finally, the report directs agencies to rigorously practice the plan with all employees so that they may become familiar with it and allow managers to evaluate the plan’s strengths and weaknesses and make improvements.

“The federal workplace should be a model workplace—one that assures a safe and secure environment for employees with disabilities,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “President Bush has challenged us to remove barriers that impede Americans with disabilities from leading full and independent lives.”

“There is no ‘One Size Fits All’ when it comes to emergency preparedness,” said ODEP Assistant Secretary Roy Grizzard. “Today’s report will help agencies create thorough and comprehensive emergency plans that provide for an appropriate course of action for all employees in an emergency situation.”

The report stems from a December 2-3, 2003 Labor Department conference on emergency preparedness for people with disabilities in the federal government. The conference, which was attended by 225 representatives from over 90 federal, state and local offices and agencies, was the first time that senior personnel from emergency preparedness, security, office safety and disability programs had gathered together to address emergency preparedness for federal employees with disabilities. Copies of the ODEP report are available from www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/ep/index.htm or by calling ODEP at (202) 693-7880 and requesting the report, Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities.

The Department of Labor has a sound bite available online in two formats at http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/audio/

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Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.