The City of Houston/Harris County Disability Access & Functional Needs Committee has been recognized with the prestigious 2024 Martha Arbuckle Award for their Disaster Readiness & Resilience Clinic (DRRC), an accolade awarded annually by the Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities in partnership with the Texas Workforce Commission. The honor, named after the late disability advocate Martha Arbuckle, is designed to commend the most innovative local committee project of the year, shining a light on meaningful work that advances disability rights and preparedness.
During an event held on October 30 in Lancaster, Texas, the committee received its honor, and as usual, the award is doled out alongside Disability Employment Awareness Month, which is observed in October. According to an official announcement, key members of the committee including Jackie Miller from the Mayor's Office of Public Safety & Homeland Security and John Fleming, Sr. Staff Analyst at the Houston Health Department—Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP), played instrumental roles in the implementation of the DRRC.
Disability Rights Texas (DRTx), being long-standing representatives and stakeholders within the DAFN committee, had been pushing for such an in-person, inclusive preparedness event aimed at fostering community resiliency. The DRRC's mission was crucial; it sought to bridge the divide between emergency management and the community at large, ensuring equity and accessibility in their methodologies, a principle undoubtedly foregrounding the needs of those frequently overlooked.
"We are honored to receive this award and very proud of Jackie Miller and John Fleming with the City of Houston and Kristina Clark with Harris County. Our region works collaboratively in disaster planning, preparedness, and resilience, and through the efforts of the Disabilities, Access, and Functional Needs (DAFN) Workgroup, there is a specific focus on Getting It Right with vulnerable individuals," said Chief Larry Satterwhite, director of the Mayor's Office of Public Safety & Homeland Security, the clinic held in May employed a Navigator approach that remarkably ensured tailoring of disaster preparedness to the individuals' requirements, according to the Mayor's Press Release.
By incorporating a Navigator approach, the DRRC facilitated personalized, one-on-one support for participants, enabling them to engage with disaster response experts and service representatives with extensive knowledge in the domain. This initiative provided participants the essential tools and counsel needed to devise personal preparedness plans that cater to their unique requirements, thus enhancing their ability to navigate potential disasters with greater confidence and resources.
