City of Houston / Harris County Disability Access & Functional Needs Committee Selected for the 2024 Martha Arbuckle Award

City of Houston / Harris County Disability Access & Functional Needs Committee Selected for the 2024 Martha Arbuckle Award

Stephanie Duke (Disability Rights Texas), Kristina Clark (Harris County OHSEM), Annette Addo-Yobo (Miss Texas 2024), John Fleming (Houston Health Department), Jackie Miller (Mayor's Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security

November 4, 2024 -- The City of Houston/Harris County Disability Access & Functional Needs Committee is the proud recipient of the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities Lex Frieden Employment Awards 2024 Martha Arbuckle Award for its 2024 Disaster Readiness & Resilience Clinic (DRRC).

The Martha Arbuckle Award recognizes the most innovative local committee project and is presented in memory of Austin's long-time disability advocate, Martha Arbuckle.

The committee, accepted the award during an event on Oct. 30 in Lancaster, Texas. Disability Employment Awareness Month is observed in October, and the award is given annually by the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities and the Texas Workforce Commission.

The purpose of the DAFN Planning Committee is to bridge the gap between the whole community and emergency management before, during, and after a disaster by advocating for equitable and accessible best practices, programs, and services.

Disability Rights Texas (DRTx) has been a representative and stakeholder of the DAFN committee for years and had been pitching this idea to the group about an in-person, inclusive preparedness event to help build resiliency in the community.

Key individuals who made the DRRC happen for the City of Houston are Jackie Miller, Mayor's Office of Public Safety & Homeland Security and John Fleming, Sr. Staff Analyst; Houston Health Department-Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP).

"We are honored to receive this award and very proud of Jackie Miller and John Fleming with the City of Houston and Kristina Clark with Harris County. Our region works collaboratively in disaster planning, preparedness, and resilience, and through the efforts of the Disabilities, Access, and Functional Needs (DAFN) Workgroup, there is a specific focus on Getting It Right with vulnerable individuals," said Chief Larry Satterwhite, director of the Mayor's Office of Public Safety & Homeland Security. "Their Disaster Readiness and Resilience (DRRC) Clinic held in May used a Navigator approach that proved invaluable for ensuring that each individual is equipped to handle potential disasters. We believe their work on the event and the process used at the clinic makes a real difference, positively impacts the safety and well-being of the individuals, and improves community resilience for all."

The DRRC was a Whole Community/Disability Access and Functional Needs (DAFN) inclusive workshop for individuals, caregivers, and families to improve their preparedness for the range of threats and hazards that may impact the area. The workshop specifically recognized and addressed barriers that individuals with disabilities might face and the impact the events can have on their critical community lifelines. The DRRC's purpose and intent were to promote readiness through planning, recognizing potentially available resources at local, state, and federal levels, and consulting with support and service representatives.

Participants had the opportunity to engage and talk with providers and representatives knowledgeable and involved in disaster response and recovery measures in how to better prepare for events that pose risks to them and their specific individual needs. The clinic also provided a navigated (one-on-one) and supported opportunity for participants to complete their own printed personal preparedness plan for their needs.