Blind and low-vision young adults are getting a reality check on disaster prep, thanks to a program out West that's dialing down the complexity and ramping up the practical. The program, Learning Independence For Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT), housed at the Washington State School for the Blind, offers a no-nonsense approach to living on your own, according to an article published by the state's emergency division.
“Can you imagine eight blind people trying to cram themselves under a door frame in an earthquake? We would topple like dominoes!” that's one candid takeaway from a conversation the program's outreach manager had on-site, as they dig into the do's and don'ts during a disaster, and the laughs are part of the lesson. But beyond the laughs the program lays out a straightforward, three-step mantra for emergency readiness: Know your hazards, make plans, and build kits, the simplicity of this message however, might not completely translate to the reality of the differently-abled faces.
Steve Lowry, a LIFTT teacher, steps in, turning brochures into braille and fostering honest talk about what readiness means when the lights go out or the ground shakes. Lowry had the program's "Be 2 Weeks Ready backpack brochure" translated into braille, providing students with a tactile resource that serves a distinct need, Hollie Stark, the outreach program manager explained in the article.
During a recent 90-minute session, students chewed over challenges like labeling emergency food and finding best practices for audio instructions, they're figuring out the real deal with experiential urgency, like recounting a harrowing four-hour power outage amid freezing temps that left them hungry for info. This hands-on exchange is more than a lesson; it's a two-way street, reopening next spring for a fresh batch of minds ready to prep and prove that preparedness doesn't play favorites, and as Stark rightly notes while recapping her time at LIFTT, "Preparedness is as easy as one, two, three," though it's not one-size-fits-all. Stark admitted, "I try hard, I can always do better," emphasizing the ongoing effort to make disaster preparedness accessible to all.
