Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council (AZ SILC)

Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council (AZ SILC) The Disability Empowerment Center Suite 214 5025 E Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85034 602/262-2900, voice/TTY www.azsilc.org

AZ SILC SILC Staff: • Tony DiRienzi Executive Director tony@azsilc.org • Linda Jane Austen Director of Administration linda@azsilc.org

AZ SILC SILC, with the support of the AZ Department of Health Services, will conduct workshops around the state related to Emergency Services and Functional Needs. .

AZ SILC The purpose of this presentation is to acquaint you with SILC and provide an introduction to the content of our Functional Needs Workshops.

AZ SILC Workshop topics: • What are Functional Needs? • Who has Functional Needs? • How Functional Needs Impact the Planning for and Delivery of Emergency Services. • Best Practices

AZ SILC SILC is an AZ Governor’s advisory council and non profit organization, whose members: • Are a majority of people with a disability, • Represent the diversity of AZ, • Assess and advocate for issues related to Independent Living.

AZ SILC Independent Living is essentially about the Civil Rights of People with Disabilities.

AZ SILC The goal of Independent Living is to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to live and participate in their community.

AZ SILC People with Disabilities are the majority of the Functional Needs Population

AZ SILC Integral to Independent Living is addressing the Functional Needs of people.

AZ SILC There are 5 major categories of Disabilities • Mobility, • Sensory, • Cognitive, • Mental, and • Multiple.

AZ SILC The Functional Needs population is a broad spectrum of individuals that use a wide range of interventions to independently accomplish Activities of Daily Living.

AZ SILC Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) are used to describe and indicate the functional level of individuals.

AZ SILC ADLs include: • Walking • Personal Hygiene • Dressing • Self Feeding • Toileting • Communicating

AZ SILC An individual’s ability to accomplish ADLs is used as a criteria to measure their independence.

AZ SILC Equipment, services, and/or pharmaceuticals are interventions used to support Functional Needs.

AZ SILC Equipment includes: • Audio output electronic devices, • Consumable Medical Supplies (CMS, e.g. catheters), • Durable Medical Equipment (DME, e.g. wheelchairs), • Video telephones.

AZ SILC Services include: • American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters • Computer Assisted Real-time Translation (CART), • Personal Attendant Services (P.A.S.), • Service Animals (e.g. dogs).

AZ SILC Pharmaceuticals include: • Insulin, • Cardiac/Pulmonary, • Psychotropic, • Neurologic, and • Antibiotic.

AZ SILC People with Functional Needs do not have “Special Needs”.

AZ SILC The concept of “Special” discriminates and segregates.

AZ SILC Understanding the concept of Accessibility will prevent discriminatory practices and promote inclusive services.

AZ SILC Accessibility describes the degree to which a service or environment is equally available to as many people as possible.

AZ SILC Major Attributes of Accessibility: • Easy to use, enter, reach, apply, • Being at hand when needed, • Easy to meet, interact with, communicate with, or contact.

AZ SILC Planning and implementing supports for Functional Needs will greatly reduce the stress on emergency services’ assets and resources.

AZ SILC A Best Practice is to involve People with Functional Needs in the planning process.

AZ SILC

AZ SILC Functional Categories: • Onset • Prenatal/Birth • Acquired • Duration • Temporary • Progressive • Permanent

AZ SILC Each category is subdivided into various subcategories. Each subcategory is subdivided into various subgroups.

AZ SILC Mobility is the most visible because of anatomical characteristics or DME: • Crutches, • Oxygen Concentrators, • Prosthetics, • Scooters, • Walkers, • Wheelchairs, etc.

AZ SILC Mobility Subcategories: • Non Ambulatory • Partially Ambulatory • Ambulatory

AZ SILC Mobility Subgroups: • Non Ambulatory • Paralysis • Arthritis • Neurological • Multiple Amputations

AZ SILC Mobility Subgroups: • Partially Ambulatory • Cardiac/Pulmonary, • Temporary Medical Conditions (e.g. broken leg), • Pregnant Women, and • Aging.

AZ SILC Mobility Subgroups: • Ambulatory • Paralysis of Arms/Hands • Amputations of Arms/Hands

AZ SILC There are specific Emergency Preparedness issues related to all categories

AZ SILC Emergency service issues related to mobility include: • Evacuation • Triage • Transportation • Sheltering (not only architectural but, also equipment) • Reunification

AZ SILC For Emergency Service Personnel: • Do not assume what a person can or cannot do, • Always speak directly to person, not to companion or interpreter, and • Critical questions to ask, • What is your Functional Need? • How can I best assist you?

AZ SILC Emergency Service Personnel: • If an individual has a service animal, • Please ask, • Is this a service animal? • What has this animal been trained to do?

AZ SILC Individuals may use service animals in all Functional categories: • Mobility, • Sensory, • Cognitive, • Mental, and • Multiple.

AZ SILC How Service Animals are used: • Wheelchair users – pulling, retrieving, • People who are blind – way finding, • Neurological – alert & protect, • Cognitive – orientation to environment, • Mental –prevent self injury, wake up.

AZ SILC Emergency Services Personnel: • Do not separate owner and animal, • Not a pet, it’s a working animal, highly trained, • Do not stroke, touch or give animal food without permission of owner.

AZ SILC Service Animals (cont’d) • Harness indicates animal is working, it is on duty, • If you need to handle the animal use a leash, NOT THE HARNESS, • Animal must be in a harness or on a leash, but need not be muzzled.

AZ SILC

AZ SILC To participate in a Functional Needs workshop and table top exercise contact either: Tony DiRienzi tony@azsilc.org Linda Jane Austen linda@azsilc.org

Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council (AZ SILC)