From
CIDNY in NY City. Pictured is a wheelchair ramp to a locked door at a hurricane evacuation shelter. Photo by Susan Dooha, Executive Director of CIDNY.
NEW YORK,
NY – Susan Dooha, Executive Director
of The Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY), a plaintiff
in the case, Nov. 7 issued a statement following the Honorable Judge Jesse
Furman’s decision that New York City fails to address the needs of people with
disabilities in emergency planning:
“We are
proud of the Court’s decision in this critical civil rights matter.
For over
a decade, we have warned the City about its failure to adequately plan for
people with disabilities in emergencies. Today’s decision will put the City on
the road to ending the needless suffering of New Yorkers with disabilities
during disasters.
The court
clearly concludes that the City failed to provide for high-rise evacuation,
accessible transportation, for architecturally and programmatically accessible
shelters, canvassing, accessible communications during recovery, outreach and
education regarding personal emergency preparedness, and lacks plans for
getting people the information they need.
Representatives
from CIDNY were out the day before and the days after Sandy hit checking on
shelters, trying to reach out to people with disabilities in the affected areas
and trying to connect people with disabilities with help. CIDNY found shelters with locked doors at
ramps, temporary ramps that would be dangerous for people with disabilities;
and shelter staff that were not trained or ready to accommodate the needs of
people with disabilities – no refrigeration for medications; no way to provide
special diet needs and no accessible sleeping cots. In many cases, bathrooms were inaccessible
for those who use wheelchairs.
We
welcome the U.S. Department of Justice as a partner in the remedy phase. We’re
ready to continue our work; we hope the City is ready to do the large scale
change that needs to be done to plan for all
New Yorkers. We look forward to speaking with the incoming Mayoral team about
ways to improve compliance with federal civil rights law.
CIDNY
applauds Judge Furman’s decision and looks forward to working with the city to
ensure the safety and security of all New York City’s residents.”
About The Center for Independence of
the Disabled, New York (CIDNY)
The
Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY) is the leading voice of people
with disabilities in New York City. An independent living center, CIDNY’s goal
is to ensure full integration, independence and equal opportunity for all
people with disabilities by removing barriers to the social, economic, cultural
and civic life of the community. www.cidny.org
