The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) developed the NASDDDS Emergency Response Preparedness Self-Assessment Instrument in collaboration with the Research and Training Center, Institute on Community Integration, at the University of Minnesota.
The tool is designed to help state developmental disabilities officials evaluate how well their preparedness plans address the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities during emergencies or disasters, (including pandemic influenza). It can be customized to the needs and capacities of various agencies. One reviewer described it as a valuable resource for local/county/state disabilities programs.
The online self-assessment tool is based on an extensive review of emergency planning and disaster response plans, as well as materials from state developmental disabilities programs nationwide. The format involves a web-based collection of resources that can be organized by management activity (e.g., preparing, responding, recovering); operational level (e.g., individual, service provider, local/county/state agency); or content area (e.g., sheltering, evacuation, workforce).
