Report on special needs assessment for Katrina evacuees (SNAKE) project

Report of an assessment carried out by the US National Organization on Disability to investigate how emergency response and recovery operations after Hurricane Katrina had addressed disabled and elderly people’s needs. The assessment teams found a number of problems, which included the following. Linkages were weak between emergency shelters and agencies involved in disability and ageing, and between community groups and emergency managers. Emergency services had given little thought to disability and ageing issues. Emergency information was not available in accessible formats. Shelters were generally not fitted out for disabled people. Post-disaster interventions sometimes separated people from families and support networks, whilst others with special needs were not identified. Some disabled people were forced to abandon expensive medical equipment. There were serious concerns about long-term housing provision for people with disabilities, which was a problem even before the hurricane. Several recommendations are made.