Call for New Members to Join the Access & Functional Needs Committee

The Access & Functional Needs Committee is seeking new members to help enhance emergency preparedness and response for individuals with access and functional needs. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to your community by sharing valuable insights and experiences to ensure no one is left behind during emergencies.

The committee, formed in February 2024, works with emergency response, public health agencies and other county agencies to tackle challenges faced by individuals with access and functional needs. Your involvement is essential for advocating better emergency planning. FEMA identifies these needs as including people with disabilities, limited English proficiency, and those lacking resources. The committee seeks to enhance participation from youth, older adults, pregnant women, people with pharmacological dependency, people with limited access to transportation, limited English proficiency, people of low socioeconomic status and individuals experiencing homelessness. The committee is looking for individuals from the aforementioned groups to participate in ongoing discussions and efforts to improve the inclusiveness of emergency response in the Miami Valley Region.

Meeting Details:
• Frequency: Third Tuesday of every other month during even months
• Time: 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Location: ACIL, 165 East Helena Street, Dayton, OH 45404
• Hybrid Option: Attend in-person or via Zoom

We are in the process of structuring the committee and its meetings, with the intent to understand preparedness and planning needs and subcommittees to address the identified areas of concern. Meetings currently include sign-ins, a roundtable discussion, and an open forum for community members to express concerns related to emergencies. The committee is currently restructuring with the goal of creating subcommittees in hopes of more efficiently achieving emergency preparedness related goals in the future.

To join virtually, please email Christopher Rutledge, Director of Programs at ACIL, at [email protected] to request the Zoom link. If you attend in person, please remember that ACIL maintains a fragrance-free environment. Free parking is available, and public transportation is accessible via the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority Bus Route 17.

The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 17th, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will be virtual only. An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter is present at every meeting of the committee. For questions or to request disability accommodations, contact Christopher Rutledge at the email address above. If you require a C-Print Captionist for virtual meetings, please notify Christopher at least four days in advance.

Join us in making a difference in emergency preparedness for everyone. Your expertise and lived experiences are vital to our community’s resilience.