Civil Rights for Disaster Survivors

Getting Started

Know Your Rights

Reasonable Modifications

Auxiliary Aids and Services

Language Access Services

FEMA ensures equitable access to its programs, activities, services, and benefits for eligible disaster survivors and members of the public. The FEMA Office of Civil Rights (OCR) ensures that there is compliance with federal civil rights laws; and assists eligible disaster survivors and members of the public seeking:

• Reasonable modifications to FEMA programs and services.
• Auxiliary aids and services for individuals with disabilities.
• Language access services for individuals with limited English proficiency.

Start your application for FEMA disaster assistance by:

• Calling FEMA’s Helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
• Visiting DisasterAssistance.gov.
• Using the FEMA mobile app on your mobile device.
• Visiting a local Disaster Recovery Center.

During the application process, you can request the interpretation and/or translation services needed to interact with FEMA staff and/or access FEMA programs. Applicants can also request reasonable modifications, including but not limited to documents in large type or electronic formats for screen readers.

If you believe that you or someone you know has been discriminated against, based on race, color, religion, nationality, national origin, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status you may file a civil rights complaint:

Call the FEMA Office of Civil Rights at 1 (833) 285-7448

• Press 1 for English
• Press 2 for Spanish

Email FEMA-OCR-ECRD@fema.dhs.gov

Your complaint must include:

• Your name, address, and phone number.
• Your signature.
• Name and address of the agency, institution, or department you believe discriminated against you.
• How, why, and when you believe you were discriminated against.
• Name(s) of individual(s) whom you allege discriminated against you (if you know who they are).
• Names of any persons with additional information to support or clarify your allegations.

If you file a complaint on behalf of someone else, please include their name in the complaint.

Upon receipt, OCR will review the allegation to determine relevant facts and whether it has jurisdiction to accept a complaint, offer alternative dispute resolution, and investigate. As part of the investigation process, OCR may make a finding on the allegations or provide the covered entities with opportunities to enter into voluntary compliance and resolve the complaint.

Discriminatory incidents must be reported to OCR within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory act.

Disaster survivors with disabilities can request reasonable modifications when applying for FEMA disaster assistance. Reasonable modifications may include services such as providing a ramp for a wheelchair user to enter their temporary housing or providing a FEMA emergency preparedness brochure in an electronic format.

For more information, please visit Reasonable Modifications | FEMA.gov.

Disaster survivors with disabilities may request auxiliary aids and services when applying for disaster assistance. Auxiliary aids and services are ways to provide effective communication for people with disabilities, including but not limited to sign language interpreters.

For more information, please visit Auxiliary Aids and Services | FEMA.gov.

Disaster survivors with limited English proficiency (LEP) can access FEMA interpretation and translation services in multiple languages. You may report a language need when applying for and receiving disaster assistance.

For more information, please visit Language Access Services | FEMA.gov.

Read FEMA’s Language Access Policy to learn what FEMA is doing to ensure that individuals and communities with LEP can access, participate in, and benefit from programs and activities.