After a disaster, FEMA works not only to help as many people as possible, but to provide help that is tailored to meet the unique needs of all survivors. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a guiding force for equality and accommodation for these efforts. One major way the ADA has shaped the agency is through recent changes to FEMA’s Individual Assistance program.
The Individual Assistance program is one of the ways we provide relief to disaster survivors. Earlier this year, FEMA updated the program to make it easier for people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs to participate in the program to ensure all survivors can navigate their disaster recovery successfully.
These Individual Assistance program updates focus on removing barriers to disaster assistance for all survivors, and the changes fall into three main categories:
- New benefits: FEMA now offers new benefits that provide flexible funding directly to survivors early in the recovery process when they need it most.
- Displacement Assistance is a new monetary benefit for eligible survivors to help with housing needs if they cannot return to their home because of the disaster. These funds may be used to stay in a hotel, with family and friends, or other options while they look for a more-permanent housing solution.
- For people with disabilities, Displacement Assistance can also help pay for accessible accommodations, such as one-story, short-term lodging, lodging approved for service animals, or a facility with assistive listening or reading devices. This will benefit those who face greater health risks when access to disability-related necessities is delayed.
- Expanded eligibility: This change means FEMA can reach more people to help them recover faster while building their homes back stronger.
- FEMA is making accessibility improvements to help eligible survivors with disabilities improve their living conditions by making their homes more accessible than they were pre-disaster. For example, FEMA can pay for wheelchair ramps, grab bars and paved pathways for a home that was damaged by a disaster -- even if these items were not there before the disaster and the disaster did not cause a disability. This will not count against the Housing Assistance maximum.
- Simplified application process: A simpler application process will help meet a disaster survivor’s individual needs and ultimately help more people.
- FEMA will now be able to help underinsured survivors. For example, when the insurance payment for home damage isn’t enough to cover what happened, FEMA may be able to help up to the maximum allowable amount of assistance to make that home safe, sanitary and functional to help those who are underinsured. FEMA assistance is not a substitute for insurance and can’t compensate for all disaster losses. So, survivors need to apply with their insurance companies after the disaster if they’re insured.
- For Fiscal Year 2024, the maximums for Housing Assistance and Other Needs Assistance are $42,500 for each program respectively, and this amount will be adjusted every fiscal year. Before the changes, survivors with disabilities who received the federal assistance maximum or more for insurance payments for damage to their home were not eligible for home repair assistance from FEMA. This update will provide more of a financial cushion for people with disabilities who already bear the cost of higher coverage rates for items such as grab bars, ramps and other accessibility enhancements.
Founded on the principles of the ADA, the Individual Assistance updates help speed up the recovery process for people with disabilities. The goal is to reduce the time needed to restore them to a place of independence and safety as soon as possible by providing all survivors with equitable opportunities to register for assistance and begin recovery.
For more information on all the updates made to the Individual Assistance program, please visit fema.gov/ia.
For more information about how FEMA supports the principles of the ADA, visit Office of Disability Integration and Coordination | FEMA.gov.