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By Stuart Nelson
BVA Director of Government Relations Tom Zampieri examines disaster preparedness resource for the disabled during meeting with other VSO representatives on January 17. |
On January 17, I accompanied BVA Director of Government Relations Director Tom Zampieri to a meeting hosted by the Disabled American Veterans but one that Tom himself had spearheaded and organized. The meeting involved representatives of many of the major VSOs.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and other recent disasters, the subject of the meeting was a compelling one: Individuals with Disabilities in Emergency Preparedness. The agenda consisted of several speakers and the distribution of literature on the subject, none of which I had ever seen before.
Presenters and panel discussion participants included officials from a variety of federal agencies and other organizations concerned about preparedness issues and the disabled: Dan Sutherland, Director of the Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Department of Homeland Security; Claudia Gordon, Attorney/Advisor on the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Persons with Disabilities; Ollie Cantos, Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice; Fred Downs and Mike Vojtasko of the Veterans Health Administration; Cheryl King of the Disability Rights Office of the Federal Communications Commission; Betsy Berry, Program Assistant for the Emergency Preparedness Initiative at the National Organization on Disability (NOD); and Kevin Hanretta, Acting Director for Operations and Readiness in the Office of Policy, Planning, and Preparedness at NOD.
Tom’s particular interest in and concern for preparedness issues stems from his background as an Army Medic and long-time Physician’s Assistant with VA. He is particularly hopeful that BVA might become a more effective resource in helping blinded veterans throughout the United States become more prepared in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency.
The BVA Bulletin and the BVA national website, www.bva.org, could serve as important tools in fulfilling Tom’s hope. I invite our readers to make specific suggestions to me or to Tom Zampieri, preferably in writing, as to how BVA could most effectively communicate the importance of this topic. I would also like to hear new ideas on how to make relevant information more available. Last but not least, I would appreciate knowing the best avenue for motivating our blinded veterans and their families to adequately prepare themselves in the event of an emergency or disaster.
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