Building Community-Academic-Policy Partnerships to Reduce and Eliminate Deaf and Hard of Hearing Disparities to All-Hazards Preparedness Communication

Populations with functional and access needs have higher risks of injury, death, and property loss in emergencies. Although their higher risk can be attributed to many factors, what is striking is that a majority of studies and federal reports following disasters cite a core problem: unmet communication needs. An estimated 32 million Americans are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (Deaf/HH), including late-deafened and deaf-blind persons. This is one of the most neglected groups in national planning for emergency communication. A national report concluded that Deaf/HH groups are rarely involved in the planning and implementation of national, state, and local disaster preparedness policies. As a result, Deaf/HH groups are often categorized in the general group of “people with disabilities” despite their unique needs for emergency communication during disasters. This presentation will summarize the CDC-funded UC Berkeley Preparedness and Emergency Response Research Center's All-Hazards Communication to Improve the Resilience of Vulnerable Populations project that has engaged a National Advisory Board of Deaf/HH community leaders and advocates to examine national recommendations on preparedness communication for people who are Deaf/HH. The project examined state emergency preparedness plans, interviewed state-level preparedness directors, and identified promising approaches to benefit Deaf/HH populations. We will also describe the process, facilitators and barriers of community-academic-governmental partnerships. We will discuss the implications of strategic policy research partnerships in fostering Deaf/HH community relevant research and prevention efforts. The project findings will have a significant effect on preparing Deaf/HH and potentially other at-risk populations for emergencies nationally.