by Brianna Crandall — November 29, 2010—In an effort to advance standardization efforts in the area of emergency preparedness for persons with disabilities and special needs, the American National Standards Institute Homeland Security Standards Panel (ANSI-HSSP) has released a final workshop report outlining recommendations for the timely development of standards to support more effective emergency preparedness for all.
The report consolidates the panel’s findings from a series of 2010 workshops that examined various aspects of the standards and codes needed for reducing barriers to accessibility in emergencies. The workshops covered: Accessibility Codes and Standards, Standards for Products and Assistive Devices, and Emergency Evacuation Operations.
The aim of the report is to educate key stakeholders on the challenges and standardization gaps relating to emergency preparedness, and to serve as a call to standards developers to take necessary action on identified gaps.
Through the work of the ANSI-HSSP and other initiatives, barriers that prevent full social participation are increasingly being identified, addressed, and removed to support independence and promote involvement in all aspects of society.
