FEMA is committed to achieving accessible and fully inclusive emergency management. Considerations for individuals with disabilities should be contemplated as part of holistic community-based mitigation. With respect to HMA, this requires active engagement in meeting access and functional needs of people with disabilities as applications are scoped and developed. FEMA and recipients of HMA must comply with any federal law addressing accessibility, as applicable, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,[69] Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (ABA) [70] or the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.[71] This document generally refers to the ADA regarding accessibility requirements but HMA recipients should be aware that the ABA and Rehabilitation Act may also apply. As appropriate, factors for accessible design should be incorporated into HMA activities to serve the whole community to the greatest extent possible. When communities integrate the access and functional needs of the Whole Community in all phases of community-wide emergency management, they strengthen their ability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards.
For more on accessibility, refer to the FEMA Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Overview.