The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC) has released a new version of its training course titled “IS-368.A: Including People with Disabilities in Disaster Operations.”

The course is designed for all personnel involved in disaster operations. It provides an introductory overview of information and strategies on how to include people with disabilities during mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

The course focuses on:

• The difference between disabilities and access and functional needs;
• FEMA’s actions supporting the integration of people with disabilities in disaster operations and ways to shorten the disaster cycle for them;
• The differences between equity and equality;
• Ways to ensure terminology is in alignment with the needs of people with disabilities;
• Messaging to ensure inclusivity and accessibility to all emergency managers; and
• Guidance to FEMA staff on how to ensure physical, program, and communication access to the whole community.

The course is live now and can be accessed on FEMA’s official website. The self-paced course should take two hours to complete.