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IF I CAN GET EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION, PLEASE.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
FIRST OF ALL, MY PRONOUNS ARE HE, HIM.
I AM A HANDSOME HISPANIC BROWN MAN WITH A NAVY BLUE SUIT AND A T-SHIRT WITH THE LOGO OF EARTH DAY.
IT'S A GLOBE WITH THE SKYLINE, UH, RIGHT OVER IT.
UM, GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO TODAY'S IMPORTANT CONVERSATION WITH DR.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BE ENGAGING IN A VERY IMPORTANT AND MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION AROUND DISABILITIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN HOUSTON TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHEN IT COMES TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
NOW, WITH ME TODAY, I HAVE TWO GREAT GENTLEMEN, AND I'LL ALLOW THEM TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
UM, WE'LL START WITH TO MY LEFT.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, FOR THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY TODAY TO, IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE WITH YOU.
I'M IN CHARGE OF THE OUTREACH DEPARTMENT OF THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND EXCITED TO BE HERE TODAY.
MY BACKGROUND IS, UH, I'M INTERNATIONAL ATTORNEY.
UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING SEVERAL YEARS IN UNITED NATION IN, IN PARIS, IN UNESCO, SPECIFICALLY, AND ON UNITED NATION IN VIENNA, IN ALTRIA, UH, WORKING IN DIFFERENT COMMITTEES IN, UH, RELATED WITH, UH, COMMISSION OF, UH, TO IMPROVE, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHTS AND, AND, AND, AND DIFFERENT POLICIES FOR PEOPLE FOR DISABILITY, AND IN SOME CASES, UH, A DIFFERENT COMMITTEE THAT HOW THE, THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE CAN, CAN AFFECT, UH, VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
I DIRECT THE INDEPENDENT LIVING RESEARCH UTILIZATION PROGRAM AT TIER MEMORIAL HERMANN.
I'M ALSO PROFESSOR OF BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS AND OF REHABILITATION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER AT HOUSTON.
AND, UH, GLAD TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL TODAY.
UH, ANGEL, THANKS FOR HAVING US.
UM, HE FAILED TO MENTION THAT, UH, HE IS RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE INDEPENDENT LIVING MOVEMENT BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN EAR IN THE EARLY 1970S.
AND HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN CONCEIVING AND DRAFTING THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990.
LEX FRIEDEN, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
NOW WE ALL KNOW WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
UH, WE ALL HAVE EXPERIENCE OR, OR KNOW OF SOMEBODY THAT HAD, HAS EXPERIENCED THE DIFFICULTIES OF CLIMATE CHANGE, SPECIFICALLY HERE IN THE HOUSTON AREA.
WE SAW THAT WITH THE HOUSTON TAX DAY FLOODS.
WE SAW THAT WITH HURRICANE HARVEY, SAW THAT WITH THE, UH, WITH TROPICAL STORM EMELDA.
WE SAW THAT WITH WINTER STORM URI, HUNDREDS OF HOMES AND APARTMENTS WERE FLOODED.
UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND THE, THE, THE HOUSTON AREA WERE SUSPENDED.
OVER 30,000 PEOPLE DURING HARVEY WERE DISPLACED, INCLUDING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND THEN DURING, UH, STORM URI, UM, THERE WERE HUNDREDS OF BLACKOUTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND WE DON'T REALLY STOP TO THINK ABOUT HOW THAT AFFECTED PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
LEX FRIED, GIVEN THE HISTORY AND EVIDENCE, WE KNOW THAT THESE DIS THIS, THESE DISASTERS HAVE IMPACTED PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
UH, LEX, COULD YOU GIVE US MORE INFORMATION OF HOW CLIMATE CHANGE HAS INCREASED THE LIKELIHOOD OF FLOODING HERE IN HOUSTON? AND TALK TO US MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN BE, UH, OR BETTER REIMAGINE OUR HOUSTON BAY.
WELL, I MEAN, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT CLIMATE CHANGE HAS AFFECTED THE LIVES OF EVERYONE IN HOUSTON, AND PARTICULARLY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
I I HAVE LIVED IN HOUSTON SINCE 1971, AND ALL THAT TIME UNTIL 2001 WHEN WE HAD TROPICAL STORM ALLISON, UM, I WAS NEVER REALLY AFFECTED BY A FLOOD.
SOMETIMES YOU STAY HOME, THE WATER GETS IN THE STREETS, BUT IT RUNS OUT.
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BUSINESS.2001, I WAS IN MY HOME, AND THE RAIN JUST KEPT COMING.
AND IT CAME, AND IT CAME, AND IT CAME, AND MY HOME WAS BUILT PRETTY TIGHT.
AND WE HAD BIG WINDOWS THAT WENT FROM THE, THE CEILING DOWN TO THE FLOOR, AND THE WATER OUTSIDE THOSE WINDOWS CAME UP, AND IT WAS LIKE A FOOT.
I WAS LIKE THE, ON THE INSIDE OF AN AQUARIUM BACKWARDS.
AND, AND THE WATER KEPT RISING OUTSIDE THE HOUSE.
AND THEN IT STARTED COMING IN THROUGH THE FLOOR.
IT STARTED COMING UP ON THE WHEELS OF THE CHAIR AND GOT UP WHERE IT WAS COVERING MY FEET INSIDE THE HOUSE.
IT WAS HIGHER OUTSIDE THE HOUSE.
MY NEIGHBOR SWAM ACROSS THE STREET TO CHECK ON ME, AND HE'S KNOCKING ON THE DOOR.
AND I WAS AFRAID TO OPEN THE DOOR BECAUSE I KNEW IF I DID, THE WATER WOULD COME IN, BUT I COULDN'T LEAVE THE MAN STANDING THERE IN THE FLOOD.
SO I OPENED THE DOOR, AND, UH, AT THAT POINT, THE WATER CAME UP TO ABOUT MY WAIST, AND WE, UM, UH, WE MANAGED THERE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UNTIL IT WENT DOWN THE NEXT DAY.
BUT, UH, THAT, THAT WAS SHOCKING TO ME.
AND SINCE THEN, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN BRAESWOOD, UH, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE FLOODING FROM THE BIOS, BUT THAT WAS THE FIRST EXPERIENCE THAT IT GETS WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE.
AND NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK ON THE BIO, BUT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN TESTED.
AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I THINK MANY PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE FLOODED IN THE PAST ARE SORT OF WONDERING NOW WHAT HAPPENS? UH, BUT THE IMPACT OF THAT, UH, OF THAT WATER CAUSES PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
SOME, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THE DEMOGRAPHICS.
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE NOT LIVING IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE TYPICALLY SAFE FROM FLOODING.
THEY'RE LIVING IN THE LOWER AREAS WHERE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE MOVED AWAY WHEN THEY REALIZE IT WAS A FLOOD PRONE AREA.
AND THIS REALLY CAUSES A HUGE IMPACT ON THAT PORTION OF THE POPULATION.
AND I, I DON'T THINK WE, YOU KNOW, FULLY TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
JULIAN, DO YOU KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY PLANS RIGHT NOW WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON? WHAT ARE WE DOING TO TRY TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE? YES.
WELL, UH, NOWADAYS, AS YOU KNOW, EVERY CITY, EVERY CITY IN UNITED STATES OR EVERY COUNTRY, EVERY FIVE YEARS, WE HAVE TO, TO, TO, TO DEVELOP OR TO UPDATE THE HAZARD, A MITIGATION PLAN.
AND, AND THE ANEX ACCESS THAT THE, THAT, THAT IS COMPRISED BY THE, THE COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN.
I MEAN, EVERY CITY, IN THIS CASE, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WHAT IT'S DOING NOW IS UPDATING THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.
BUT WE'RE DOING NOW DIFFERENT IS IDENTIFYING THOSE DEMOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT WE STRATEGICALLY DID DIFFERENT RESOURCES AND STUDIES.
WHY? BECAUSE AFTER HARVEY, WE REALIZE THAT ALL THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND ALL THE, THE, THE POPULATION THAT WERE AFFECTED BEFORE, BEFORE HARVEY CHANGED, AS YOU KNOW, IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE WHO IS, WHO ARE AFFECTED BY, BY, BY THE HASARD, YOU KNOW, THE HASARD DOESN'T, OR THE DISASTER.
THE NATURAL DISASTER DOESN'T HAVE ANY, ANY, UH, STRATUS CO CONDITION OR OF PEOPLE THAT COULD BE AFFECTED OR NOT.
IT'S AFFECTED, UH, UH, THE WHOLE POPULATION EQUALLY, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR VULNERABLE POPULATION.
WE, WE DID A RESEARCH IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT LOCATION OF THE CITY STRATEGICALLY TO, TO, TO IDENTIFY, TO IMPROVE THE DATA OF THE, OF THE STEER, WHICH IS THE, THE STATE DATA TO, TO, TO IMPROVE THE DATA AND GATHER MORE INFORMATION OF, OF THE, THIS VULNERARY POPULATION AND THE RESOURCES THAT THEY MAY NEED TO COMPLEMENT THIS ACTIVITY.
WE WERE DEVELOPING PUBLIC MEETINGS AND A STAKEHOLDER MEETING IN DSMO AREA, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE BEEN IN EAST END IN SHELDON AREA, WHICH REALLY AFFECTED, UH, GULF CHARLESTOWN.
WE HAVE BEEN IN NORTH SIDE IN HOME ASHIRA GARDEN, AND WE HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, WITH A MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM, GATHERING THOSE INFORMATION, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH DIFFERENT, UH, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH VULNERABLE POPULATION AND WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO CREATE PLANS THAT ARE ACCORDINGLY TO THE NEEDS OF, OF, OF OUR POPULATION, IAN.
AND, AND THAT'S A VERY GOOD THING THAT THE CITY IS DOING.
UM, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO COLLABORATE
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WITH, WITH DIRECTOR MUNOZ AND YOUR TEAM TO GET SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS SET UP SO THAT WE CAN REACH THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY AND GET THEIR INPUT.LEX FRIEDAN, WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH DURING THAT, THAT STORM, IT WAS HORRIBLE.
AND THE SAD PART ABOUT THAT IS THAT THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU AND ME, WITH DISABILITIES THAT GO THROUGH THAT, THAT THAT EXACT SAME EXPERIENCE.
FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF OUR PREVIOUS COMMISSIONERS WITH THE HOUSTON COMMISSION ON DISABILITIES, UH, EXPRESSED HER CONCERN SHORTLY AFTER, UM, UM, HARVEY.
SHE SAID, ANGEL, I WAS THERE IN MY HOME WAITING FOR SOMEBODY TO COME SAVE ME.
THIS PERSON WAS REGISTERED WITH A REGISTRY HERE IN TEXAS THAT PROMISED THIS INDIVIDUAL THAT THEY WOULD SEND SOMEBODY TO COME OUT AND SAVE THEM OR EVACUATE THEM AND TAKE 'EM SOMEWHERE SAFE.
SADLY, THE PERSON THAT WAS AVAILABLE WAS THEIR NEIGHBOR, JUST LIKE YOU, LEX, TO SAVE THEM.
LET ME SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
UH, FOR A LOT OF YEARS, WE WANTED, THERE WAS A GREAT DEBATE BEFORE ANY REGISTRY WAS STARTED, PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT PRIVACY, AND THEY DID NOT WANT THEIR NAMES ON A LIST, BECAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE A LIST OF VERY VULNERABLE PEOPLE.
AND THAT LIST GOT INTO THE WRONG HANDS.
WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHO WOULD USE THAT LIST FOR WHAT PURPOSE? SO THE STATE PROMISED THAT THE LIST WOULD BE CAREFULLY PROTECTED AND KEPT IN AUSTIN AND RETURNED TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN THE COMMUNITY CALLED FOR THE NEED FOR THAT LIST BECAUSE OF A DISASTER.
WE ENCOURAGED PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO MIGHT NEED EVACUATION OR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE IN A DISASTER TO REGISTER FOR THE LIST THAT WAS CONFOUNDING, BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE REQUIRED TO REGISTER EACH YEAR.
IT'S NOT LIKE YOU COULD GET ON THE LIST AND THEN BE REGISTERED.
IT'S LIKE YOU HAD TO REMEMBER TO RE-REGISTER EACH YEAR.
NOW, THE REASON THEY DID THAT WAS TO MAKE SURE THEY HAD UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, AND THEY DIDN'T SEND EMERGENCY VEHICLES OUT TO A HOME.
THE PEOPLE HAD MOVED YEARS BEFORE.
SO AGAIN, THAT MADE SOME SENSE.
UH, THE LIST WAS FAIRLY WELL DESIGNED AND THAT PEOPLE COULD PUT THEIR ADDRESS, COULD STATE THE TYPE OF HELP THEY NEEDED, COULD TALK ABOUT WHETHER THERE WERE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS THAT NEED TO BE, UH, EVACUATED.
THEY COULD TALK ABOUT IF THEY HAD ANIMALS, PETS, OR SOMETHING ELSE THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE EVACUATED.
ALL THIS INFORMATION WAS COMPILED AND THEORETICALLY COULD BE USED BY THE COMMUNITY IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
FURTHERMORE, IT WAS TAGGED SO THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD RESPOND IN THE AREA WHERE THERE HAPPENED TO BE, UH, DISASTER AT THAT TIME, AND NOT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY IF IT WASN'T AFFECTED.
SO WE WORKED AND WE WORKED, AND YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE RAN, WE MANAGED TO GET SEVEN OR 8,000 PEOPLE TO SIGN UP FOR THIS REGISTRY.
CONSIDER THAT THERE ARE AT LEAST 150,000 PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NEED THOSE SERVICES.
AND YET WE HAD SEVEN OR 8,000 ON THE REGISTRY.
BUT THOSE PEOPLE EXPECTED TO BE HELPED.
IN THE CASE OF HARVEY, OUR CITY DID NOT ASK AUSTIN FOR THE LIST.
AND THOSE OF US WHO FELT SECURE, BECAUSE WE WERE ON THE LIST, AND WE KNEW THAT WE WOULD BE CHECKED ON AND EVACUATED IF NECESSARY, NOBODY EVER CAME.
NOW, WHAT ARE WE, ARE WE SUPPOSED TO TRUST THIS LIST? HMM.
LEX, JULIAN, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE THE STEER PROGRAM? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT? YES, OF COURSE.
I THINK THAT, EH, IT JUST ONE TOOL.
BUT REMEMBER THAT THE KEY TO TO, TO, TO PREVENT THE HAAR IS THE EDUCATION.
AND THIS PREVENTION IS A CORE RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE WHOLE SOCIETY, AND THE, THE WHOLE SOCIETY.
AND IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THOSE KIND OF TOOLS, LIKE, UH, THE, THE, THE, THE STEER,
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WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS, UH, WORKING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH DIFFERENT NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, WITH FAITH LEADER, WITH LEADER OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WORK WITH US.UH, AND WE'RE TRYING TO GATHER, UH, WITH THEM THROUGH THIS PUBLIC MEETING AND STAKEHOLDER MEETING IN THOSE SPECIFIC VULNERABLE POPULATION TO, TO, TO ADD THEIR NEED, THEIR, THEIR ACTUAL, EH, EH, NEEDS AND VULNER VULNERABILITIES.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE REALIZED DURING THOSE POOL MEETING THAT THEY WERE A, A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY THAT THEY DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH.
UH, MOST OF THEM, THEY WERE CHILDREN AND THEY WERE NOT ATTENDING TO A SCHOOL.
SO WHAT WE DID IS IDENTIFY LIKE, HEY, WE NEED TO, TO, TO CREATE MORE RESOURCES IN, IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, IN SEVERAL LANGUAGES, NOT JUST SPANISH, NO, IN VIETNAMESE, FRENCH.
IN FACT, WE ARE UPDATING OUR INFORMATION IN THE OEM AND THE C SYSTEM WEBSITE WITH DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT I BRING HERE TODAY, OUR READY PACKAGES IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S IN SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, FRENCH, BUT BEYOND THAT, YEAH.
THE KEY IS WORKING TOGETHER WITH DOCTOR, WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION, WITH THE UNIVERSITIES, WITH THE SCHOOLS.
THE SCHOOL IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THE SCHOOL WE USE, UH, USUALLY USE THE SCHOOL AS A SHELTER IN, IN, IN CASE OF, OF NATURAL DISASTER.
AND, AND, AND, AND WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE THE, THE STEER TOOL, SPECIFICALLY AS YOU SAY, LIKE, UH, TO DATE, CONTINUOUSLY THE DATA.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT TO TRY TO, TO, TO, TO ENGAGE AND GATHER INFORMATION FROM THOSE POPULATION THAT MAY I NOT SPEAK ENGLISH, THAT MAYBE 'CAUSE OF THE CULTURE BARRIER.
THEY ARE AFRAID THAT, AND THEY'RE LEAVING THE SHADOW, AND THEY DON'T WANNA TO SHARE, THEY DON'T WANT TO SHARE THEIR INFORMATION.
BUT IT'S A WORD THAT WE'RE DOING NOW IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, DIRECTOR PON TO TRY TO, TO GO DEEPER IN THOSE, UH, POOREST COMMUNITY OF HOUSTON TO, TO IDENTIFY, UH, A MORE IDENTIFY, ENGAGE WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE WITH THEM TO, TO TRY TO PROVIDE THE RESEARCH THAT THEY THEY NEED NEXT.
DO YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING, SCOTT? YEAH.
THERE, I MEAN, THERE IS SOME BENEFIT TO THESE LISTS.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I LIVED, I HAD THE, UH, THE, I LIVED IN WASHINGTON, DC ACTUALLY ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, FOR FOUR YEARS WHILE WE WORKED ON THE A DA.
AND IN THAT COMMUNITY, IF YOU HAD A NEED FOR EVACUATION IN CASE OF A FIRE OR ANY OTHER EMERGENCY, THEY HAD A LITTLE STICKER YOU COULD PUT ON YOUR FRONT WINDOW.
THE STICKER WOULD ALERT THE EMERGENCY AUTHORITIES, THE POLICE AND FIRE, THAT THERE WAS SOMEBODY THERE THAT NEEDED HELP EVACUATING.
UH, AND THEY HAD A DATABASE, AND THEY KNEW WHO LIVED IN WHAT HOME, WHERE THE DOOR OR WINDOW WAS CLOSEST TO WHERE THEIR BED WAS.
AND THEY COULD EFFECTIVELY HELP PEOPLE IN A, IN AN EMERGENCY.
UH, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ANYTHING CLOSE TO THAT HERE.
AND, UH, AGAIN, I THINK THAT KIND OF IDENTIFICATION PUTS PEOPLE IN CERTAIN JEOPARDY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THE RISK YOU TAKE WITH THE POTENTIAL OF BEING SAVED IN A, IN A DISASTER.
SO, I MEAN, THESE ARE THE KINDS OF DECISIONS PEOPLE HAVE TO WEIGH, BUT I DON'T THINK GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES SHOULD MAKE THAT DECISION.
I THINK INDIVIDUALS SHOULD MAKE THAT DECISION.
AND IF I CHOOSE TO ASSUME THE RISK OF HAVING AN IDENTITY ON MY WINDOW IN ORDER TO BE SAVED IN A FLOOD, THEN I'LL TAKE THAT RISK.
I MEAN, I, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE THAT CHOICE, THAT, THAT OPTION, BUT WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T PROVIDE THAT.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I REALLY THINK WE HAVE TO RETHINK THE WAY WE DO, UM, EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH TECHNOLOGY THAT WE CAN DO IT PERSON BY PERSON.
I THINK WE CAN RECORD NECESSARY DATA.
WE ALREADY KNOW FROM CENSUS DATA, WHICH NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE A PREPONDERANCE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES LIVING IN THEM.
I DON'T EVEN THINK WE USE THAT INFORMATION.
NOW, LEX, YOU REMIND ME OF A CONCEPT THAT MANY, SOME, MAYBE SOME FOLKS IN HERE DON'T KNOW ABOUT.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE, WITH THE SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY, WHERE, VERSUS THE MEDICAL MODEL OF DISABILITY, WHERE IT, IT, IT PUTS THE BURDEN ON THE PERSON WITH A DISABILITY.
AND THE SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY SAYS THAT SOCIETY PUTS RESTRICTIONS ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE DO OUR EMERGENCY PLANNING, HOW WE THINK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE.
NOW, LEX SCIENCE TELLS US THAT TEMPERATURE OF THE EARTH IS RISING AND THE POLLUTION IS, SEEMS TO BE INCREASING.
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UM, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY CREATED BY VEHICLES, FACTORIES AND, AND OTHER SOURCES.HOW DOES THAT AFFECT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES? WELL, A, AGAIN, DISABILITIES ON A CONTINUUM, AND I, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T DEFINE THEMSELVES AS HAVING A DISABILITY WHO ARE AFFECTED BY THE BAD AIR.
UH, IF THEY ARE AFFECTED TO THE POINT THAT IT INTERFERES WITH THEIR DAILY LIFE ACTIVITIES, THEN THEORETICALLY THEY ARE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
THEY, THEY MEET THE FEDERAL, UH, GUIDELINES FOR HAVING A DISABILITY.
SO THE, THE AIR CREATES IN EFFECT DISABILITY.
BECAUSE IT PREVENTS PEOPLE FROM DOING, UH, ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING, UH, OR ENJOYING, UH, THE ENVIRONMENT FOR THAT MATTER.
AND THIS SIMPLY GETS WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE.
THE PEOPLE WHO ARE AFFECTED, THE WORSE.
THOSE WHO HAVE, UH, BAD, UH, CONDITIONS, LUNG CONDITIONS, ASTHMA, OTHER KINDS OF ILLNESSES OR DISABILITIES, THOSE PEOPLE ARE OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE AFFECTED WORSE.
BUT IT'S GONNA AFFECT PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT, UNTIL NOW REALIZED THAT THEY'RE SUSCEPTIBLE TO, UH, THE, THE BAD AIR.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UH, AGAIN, A CHALLENGE FOR ALL OUR CITIES, UH, BUT IT'S ONE THAT WE, IF WE PLAN AND TAKE ACTION, CAN ADDRESS MM-HMM
UH, AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO THAT.
WE NEED THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND, THE GOVERNMENT CAN'T JUST DICTATE IT AND IT WILL HAPPEN.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT KIND OF INFORMATION, THE WORK JULIAN AND HIS COLLEAGUES ARE DOING, UH, THE WORK ALL OF US CAN DO TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS, WE HAVE CONTROL OF THIS MM-HMM
BUT WE JUST HAVE TO TAKE ACTION AND BE WILLING TO MAKE THE SACRIFICES NECESSARY TO CLEAN THE ENVIRONMENT AND MAKE SURE WE CAN LIVE LONGER.
I THINK THAT, UH, THAT'S WHY NOW, UH, THE CITY OF HUONG IS TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE OUR HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN AND OUR COMPRESSING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND WHY WE'RE, WE'RE USING DIFFERENT TOOLS TO GATHER ACTUAL INFORMATION, ACTUAL NEEDS, ACTUAL, ACTUAL DATA, EH, EH, BEYOND, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT SURVEY THAT WE'RE PROVIDING AND WERE DELIVERING TO THE COMMUNITY IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, IN, IN DIFFERENT FEDERAL LANGUAGES.
WHAT, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS, IS, IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
YOU, WE WE'RE, WE'RE ATTENDING TO THOSE POLLING MEETING, WE, OR WE'RE DEVELOPING THIS POLLING MEETING AND WE'RE ATTENDING AND, AND, AND, AND DEVELOPING THIS STAKEHOLDER MEETING INDUSTRIAL AL POPULATION TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION, THAT ACTUALLY INPUT, EH, TO CREATE SOMETHING, SOMETHING NEW.
I MEAN, LIKE A, THIS ACTUAL INFORMATION IS THE ONE THAT WILL FULFILL THE ACTUAL HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, WHAT WE, WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS TO ENSURE THAT THE ACTUAL NEEDS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS ARE IN, IN SYNERGY WITH THE POLICIES AND REGULATION THAT WE WANNA CREATE.
NOW FOR THIS 2023, AFTER THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND THE TDM AND FEMA PROOF, OUR HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN, WHAT WE WANT TO ENSURE IS THAT THIS REGULATION THAT WE PROVIDE, OR, UH, UH, IN ORDER TO, TO PROMOTE THE, THE EDUCATION, THE PREVENTION, BECAUSE THE KEY IS THE PREVENTION IN THE COMMUNITY ARE, UH, UH, UH, COMMITTED WITH, WITH THE, TO PROVIDE, UH, RESOURCES AND, AND EDUCATION TOOLS TO THE, TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE AFFECTED THROUGH THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN.
AND, AND THE COMPLAINTS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN.
AND THOSE ARE, UH, UH, UH, SPECIAL TOOLS.
BUT BEYOND, BESIDE THIS, WE WANT TO DEVELOP MORE PROGRAMS. UH, WE WANT TO DEVELOP WORKSHOP TO WORK WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH, WITH ISD, HOUSTON, ISD, SHINING CHANNEL D, CHANNEL DYSD, ONG, ISDI JUST MENTIONED A COUPLE OF OF AREAS THAT ARE REALLY AFFECTED IN THE AREA OF HOUSTON, UH, EAST
BUT THEY ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY ARE E-T-G-E-T-G IS CULTURAL JUDICIARY, UH, UH, AREAS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, BUT THEY, THEY BELONG TO, TO, TO OUR CITY.
SO WE, WE, WE WANT TO TAKING CARE OF THEM AS WELL, BECAUSE BEFORE, EH, THE RESPONSIBILITY WAS SPLIT, AND NOW WE'RE DOING, EH, EH, THIS NEW WORK THAT TRY TO COVER EVEN, YOU
[00:25:01]
KNOW, THE, THE, THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT SURROUND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, NOT JUST THE MAIN AREA, ALSO THE, THE SURROUNDED AREA TO, TO CONNECT WITH THEM AND TO CIVICALLY ENGAGE THEM WITH THE PREVENTION, UH, AND THESE NEW RESOURCES THAT WE WANT TO UPDATE AND PROVIDE.NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING HERE IN THE CITY IS, ESPECIALLY WITH, WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, IS EDUCATING OUR DIRECTORS AND MANAGERS AND, AND DIVISIONS ON HOW TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE HIRING PROCESS, HIRING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE TABLE.
AND I'M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT BRINGING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO THE TABLE THAT ARE GONNA LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, BRINGING PEOPLE TO THE TABLE THAT ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
BECAUSE HOW ARE WE MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WITHOUT PEOPLES WITH DISABILITIES MAKING THOSE DECISIONS? THERE'S A FAMOUS, UM, UH, SAYING OUT THERE THAT SAYS NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US.
AND SO, UM, JULIAN, I KNOW THAT OEM HAS BEEN DOING A LOT OF GOOD WORK, AND THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS ON BRINGING SOME FOLKS IN THAT WILL WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY.
COULD YOU TELL US WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW IS THAT GONNA BENEFIT THE CITY? YEAH.
I THINK THAT BECAUSE WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO, TO INVOLVE PEOPLE THAT, EH, EH, I MEAN, WHAT WE WANT, WHAT WE REALLY WANT IS TO, TO INVOLVE, EH, A A REALLY TECHNICIAN AND PEOPLE THAT ARE MORE THAN COMMITTED, THAT FEEL OR HAVE BEEN THROUGH THE SAME SITUATION, EH, IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN, IN, IN, IN, WE CAN SEE IN DIFFERENT RESOURCES, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, FOR HARVARD UNIVERSITY, THAT, THAT, THAT STATE THAT ABOUT 15% OF THE GLOBAL POPULATION OF THE WORLD HAS AT LEAST ONE DISABILITY INTELLECTUAL, OR, OR THE, OR, OR PHYSICALLY WHAT I MEAN, LIKE, WE WANT TO, TO TRY TO IMPROVE THE SCOPE AND TO BRING DIFFERENT, WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK, IN THE FRAMEWORK OF DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND EQUITY TECHNICIAN PEOPLE, UH, THAT CAN WORK AND PROVIDE NEW REGULATION, NEW, NEW, NEW, NEW POLICIES, UH, TO THIS DEPARTMENT THAT WE CAN, UH, UH, ACCORDINGLY SERVE TO, TO, TO THE VULNER POPULATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY.
AND THESE COULD POSSIBLY BE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
TOTALLY CAN RELATE AND CONNECT WITH THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY.
LEX, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? WELL, I, INCLUSION IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT.
I DON'T MAKE DECISIONS AFFECTING MY LIFE MM-HMM
WITHOUT ME HAVING A WORD IN IT.
UH, AND WE, WE, LONG TIME AGO, DEFINED INDEPENDENT LIVING IS MAKING DECISIONS THAT AFFECT ONE'S OWN LIFE.
AND, UH, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INVOLVED, THEN THE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO HELP US WON'T EFFECTIVELY HELP US.
UH, BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE CAN ONLY PROJECT INTO OUR LIVES, UH, SO MUCH.
AND IF THEY HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED, IF THEY DON'T LIVE THE WAY WE LIVE, THEN THEY CAN'T MAKE THE BEST PLANS, UH, TO HELP US.
SO, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES NEED TO BE INVOLVED AT ALL LEVELS.
I MEAN, OUR MAYOR HAS, UH, APPOINTED PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES MORE THAN ANY OTHER ADMINISTRATION TO COMMITTEES, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS.
AND, AND I THINK THAT HAS IMPROVED, UH, THE SERVICES THAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY GET.
UM, AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE AN EXAMPLE.
I THINK THAT ORGANIZATIONS NEED TO SEEK LEADERSHIP FROM PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
I THINK THAT, UH, THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT NEEDS TO ASSURE THAT ANY WORK THAT'S DONE INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMUNICA COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
AND WHEN I SAY REPRESENTATIVES, NOT PEOPLE WHO POINT THEMSELVES AS REPRESENTING THIS GROUP, BUT PEOPLE FROM THE GROUP ITSELF.
NOW I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA REQUEST, UM, A MIC TO SEE IF WE CAN HAVE THAT AVAILABLE.
'CAUSE I'M SURE SOME FOLKS IN THE PUBLIC HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
THIS MAY HAVE NOT HAVE BEEN DONE BEFORE, BUT IF WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN, WE WOULD LOVE TO GET THAT DONE.
UM, UH, SO WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP FOR SOME Q AND A.
NOW, WE HAVE ONE GENTLEMAN HERE IN THE BACK WITH THE, WITH HIS GLASSES.
I AM AN INTERNATIONAL PHYSICIAN, CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERT IN GLOBAL HEALTH.
I SUBSPECIALIZE IN GLOBAL HEALTH COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK YOU, PROFESSOR
[00:30:01]
LEX FRE, FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.YOU ARE AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE FOR OTHER DISABLED PEOPLE NOT TO BE ASHAMED AND COMFORT AND DO GREAT JOB.
YOUR EXAMPLE IS EQUAL ONLY TO THAT OF, UM, THE LATE CHARLES TAMA, PSYCHIATRY, PHYSICIAN, POLITICIAN, AND GREAT JOURNALIST WHO BILL CLINTON CALLED THE VOICE AND AUTHORITY IN THE REPUBLICAN, UM, IDEOLOGY, CONCEPT, AND AREA.
MY QUESTION IS, WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE AND ASK THE MAYOR AND THE AUTHORITIES TO DO IN SITUATIONS WHERE, AS WE TALK ABOUT, UM, MENTAL DISABILITIES, PEOPLE WHO ARE DRUG ADDICTS AND RELATED COMORBIDITIES FOSTER THAT ON THEMSELVES, AND WHEN THEY NOW, UH, CLASSIFIED THAT AREA OF MENTAL HEALTH, UH, GROUP, THEY ARE DISABLED, BUT THEY PUT THE DISABILITY ON THEMSELVES, UH, SHOULD THEY GET THE BENEFITS THAT PEOPLE WHO, UH, JUST VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISABILITIES OF THEIR OWN MAKING, UH, GET THAT IS TO SAY, SHOULD THEY BE PUT ON THE SAME PATH? SHOULD THE DISABLED WHO BRING THEIR DISABILITY TO THEMSELVES GET THE BENEFITS THAT THOSE WHO COME WITH IT NATURALLY HAVE? THANK YOU.
I'D BE GLAD TO SPEAK TO THAT, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR COMMENTS.
UH, PEOPLE WHO SUFFER ARE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND ARE HUMAN PEOPLE.
AND WE, AS HUMANS, AS A SOCIETY, NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR SOCIETY IS PROTECTED.
AND THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE WHO, AS YOU SAY, MAY BRING THEIR, UH, HARDSHIP ON THEMSELVES.
UH, IT'S NOT NECESSARY THAT, UH, THAT, THAT WE MAKE A DETERMINATION OF WHAT CAUSES THEIR ILLNESS, UH, OR THEIR MISBEHAVIOR.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WITH, UH, MENTAL ILLNESS, PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, AND OTHERS WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS IN THE FACE OF DISASTER, UH, IN THE FACE OF CHALLENGES.
AND WE NEED TO ORGANIZE A SOCIETY, IN MY OPINION, SO THAT WE OUTREACH TO THOSE PEOPLE AND GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO SURVIVE.
AND WE CAN PRAY THAT EVERY DAY THEY SURVIVE, THEY RECOVER EVERY DAY THAT THEY SURVIVE.
THEY FIND NEW WAYS TO ENGAGE THEMSELVES IN PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S WHAT A, A GOOD SOCIETY DOES.
AND, UH, SO I WOULDN'T LEAVE ANYONE BEHIND, UM, REGARDLESS OF, UH, THE DISABILITY TYPE, REGARDLESS OF THE CAUSE OF THEIR DISABILITY.
NEXT, YOU, YOU MADE A VERY, VERY GOOD POINT THERE.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY DO BETTER AT IS GET AWAY FROM VICTIM BLAMING BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE SITUATIONS OF PEOPLE.
AND YES, IF THEY MADE A BAD DECISION, WE CAN WORK WITH THEM AND EDUCATE THEM TO BE BETTER AND DO BETTER DECISIONS OR MAKE BETTER DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO, VICTIM BLAMING IS SAY NO IN HOUSTON, AT LEAST IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UH, WE HAVE SOME MORE QUESTIONS THERE.
UH, WE HAVE A QUESTION HERE AT THE FRONT.
HEADING, OVERTHOUGHT THE ISOLATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, UM, FROM, UH, FROM THE WITHIN THEMSELVES AND THE, THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BECOME ADVOCATES FOR THE DISABILITY.
YEAH, LET'S, LET'S GET YOU A MIC.
UH, HOW DO YOU OVERCOME THE ISOLATION OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND WITH THE OUTSIDE COMMUNITY, AND TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BECOME ADVOCATES FOR THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY? WELL, I, THAT, THAT QUESTION ASSUMES THAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE ISOLATED.
UM, MOST PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES NOW, THE DATA WE HAVE
[00:35:01]
HAVE ACCESS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER TO THE INTERNET.AND, UM, MANY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WHO YOU MAY CONSIDER TO BE ISOLATED, ARE PROBABLY MORE CONNECTED TO OTHER PEOPLE THAN WE EXPECT OR KNOW.
UH, THEY'RE USING THE INTERNET TO FACEBOOK, TO, UH, UH, TIKTOK, TO, UH, INSTAGRAM, TO CONVERSE BY EMAIL AND BY, AND TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES BY OTHER MEANS.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULDN'T ACCEPT THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU'RE THE PREMISE YOUR, YOUR QUESTION'S BASED ON, BUT I, I WOULD SAY THAT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS OUTREACH AND BE, AND BE, UH, ABLE TO SHOW THEM OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN MORE PUBLIC ACTIVITIES.
UM, METRO, I THINK, IS A, AN EXAMPLE OF AN AGENCY THAT PROVIDES SERVICES TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO HELP THEM, UH, CIRCULATE IN THE COMMUNITY AND TO BE MORE ENGAGED IN, UH, ACTIVITIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE NEED TO PUBLICIZE THESE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE AND ENSURE PEOPLE THAT IF THEY DO ENGAGE IN PUBLIC ACTIVITIES, THOSE ACTIVITIES WILL BE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU INVITE SOMEBODY TO A CONCERT AND YOU DON'T PROVIDE ACCESSIBILITY TO THE CONCERT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME THE NEXT TIME YOU INVITE SOMEBODY TO THE BASKETBALL GAME AND THEY FIND THAT ALL THE WHEELCHAIR SEATING IS FILLED UP BY TELEVISION CAMERAS, THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME TO THE, TO THE BALL GAME AGAIN.
SO, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE MORE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT INCLUSION AND THAT, UH, INCLUSION SHOULD DRIVE OUR PLANNING AND OUR DECISIONS.
I WAS JUST, I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT THIS OUTSIDE TO THE INTERPRETERS, UH, 'CAUSE I ASKED THEM YESTERDAY, I ASKED THEM ABOUT YESTERDAY, I SAID, HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME OUT HERE? SAYS, UH, WELL, NOT NOBODY REALLY.
AND I SAID, OKAY, WELL, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB AT ADVERTISING THIS.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, MAKING A STATEMENT, MAKING A STATEMENT THAT THIS EVENT PROVIDED A SL INTERPRETING AND CAPTIONING.
AND THERE MAY NOT BE ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW THAT IS USING THE A SL OR READING THE CAPTIONING, BUT SOMEBODY OUT THERE WILL SEE THIS VIDEO.
SOMEBODY OUT THERE WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS AND SAY, THE CITY OF HOUSTON PROVIDED INTERPRETING SERVICES FOR SOMEBODY LIKE ME.
THEN THE NEXT TIME THEY THINK ABOUT GOING TO AN EVENT, WE'RE LIKE, I'M MORE LIKELY TO GO OUT AND GO OUT AND ENGAGE WITH MY COMMUNITY.
AND SO IT IS THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE, UH, TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE REGISTRY.
WE CAME AS A RESULT OF A DISASTER.
UM, SEVERAL PEOPLE IN MY FAMILY ARE DISABLED USE, UH, BREEDING APPARATUSES AND SO FORTH.
THE FIRST IS, IS THE REGISTRY STILL ACTIVE? AND DO YOU THINK THAT IT WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT FOR US TO KEEP IT ON A LOCAL LEVEL, MAYBE COMMUNITY OFFICES, OR IF WE CAN APPOINT DIFFERENT REPRESENTATIVES OR COMMITTEES IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES TO ACCESS THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN DANGER DURING NATURAL DISASTERS? LIKE, HOW CAN WE MAKE IT MORE EFFECTIVE? OKAY.
YEAH, OF COURSE, THE IDEA THAT THE STATE IS, IS TO WORK AND, AND INCREASE THE, THE SCOPE.
WE'RE DOING THAT ACTUALLY, EH, WE WORK WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHO, WHO IS IN TO HELP, YOU KNOW, TO, TO SUPPORT THE, THE REGISTRATION AS WELL IN CONJUNCTION WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY CENTER AND DIFFERENT CENTERS THAT PROMOTE THE, THE, THE LINK.
AND PEOPLE CAN REGISTER THERE IN, IN, IN DIFFERENT, IN SPANISH, IN IN ENGLISH, OF COURSE, AND DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
AND BESIDE THIS, WHAT WE WANT TO DO NOW, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE WORLD UPDATING THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN IS TO HA IS TO HOST DIFFERENT, UH, PUBLIC MEETING OR EVEN ATTEND TO DIFFERENT POOLING, MEETING, DIFFERENT COM, UH, COALITION OR COMMISSION TO PROMOTE THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE STEER AND THESE RESOURCES AND TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO, TO FILL IN THE, THE DATA.
NO, IN ORDER TO INCREASE THE DATA.
AND BESIDE THIS, WE WANT TO WORK WITH DIFFERENT, UH, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH DIFFERENT FAITH LEADER CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS TO, TO, TO SHARE WITH THEM IN SOME ACTIVITIES THAT YOU KNOW, THIS INFORMATION TO, TO, TO IMPROVE THE, THE, THE POPULATION CAN REGISTER, UH, EVEN MORE IN THE, IN THE STEER.
BUT BEYOND THE, THE, THE STEER.
WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW, WHAT WE ARE PLANNING NOW,
[00:40:01]
IN FACT, ALL OF YOU ARE INVITED NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN, AT THE END OF APRIL AND IN MAY, OEM IS GONNA HOST DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER MEETING AND POOLING MEETING.AND WE WANNA INVITE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, THE CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS, THE PUBLIC, OF COURSE, UH, ORGANIZATIONS, THE SCHOOLS, IN ORDER TO, TO, TO, TO FULFILL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAM THAT WE ARE WORKING NOW.
JUST TO, TO, TO MAKE DIFFERENT EXERCISES IN, IN, TO ME, YEAH.
DIFFERENT EXERCISES TO PROVE HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER IN, IN A, IN A, IN, IN A CASE OF, OF A NATURAL DISASTER.
SO IT'S A, WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE DIFFERENT EXERCISES AND TRAINING SO WE CAN PARTICIPATE AS A COMMUNITY IN REAL TIME, EH, EH, REPRESENTING OF COURSE OUR ORGANIZATION, HOW WE CAN PROVIDE, PROVIDE INPUT AND RESOURCES TO, TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
THE KEY WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OR OF VULNERABLE POPULATION IS THE, IS THE PREVENTION, AS I SAY, SINCE THE BEGINNING.
AND WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE, THIS NEW UPDATE OF THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN TO, TO GATHER THIS INFORMATION, TO IDENTIFY ALL THOSE VULNERABLE POPULATION IN ORDER TO CONNECT WITH THEM, WHAT WE WANT TO CONNECT WITH THEM, WHAT WE WANT TO CONNECT WITH THEM, DIFFERENT RESOURCES LIKE, UH, THE SHELTERS, THE CHORES THAT CAN PROVIDE, UH, RESOURCES, UH, AS A FOOD OR AS A, EH, MEDICINE, EH, THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT, THAT THEY CAN BE OPEN IN, IN, IN A CASE OF FLOODING OR IN A CASE OF, OF, UH, A LOT OF, UH, HOT DURING THE SUMMERTIME, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO WE WANT TO, TO MAKE ALL THE RESEARCHERS AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
AND IF IT'S POSSIBLE, GO DOOR TO DOOR AND PROVIDE THEM AND LET THEM KNOW THAT, HEY, THOSE RESEARCHERS ARE HERE FOR YOU AND, AND, AND WE WANT TO CONNECT WITH YOU IN ORDER TO PROVIDE, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THE SERVICES OF METRO, LIKE METRO LEAF TO, TO IMPROVE THE SCOPE OF METRO AND GO TO THIS AL POPULATION AND PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES THAT WE'RE DOING NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IN NORTH, NORTH SIDE.
WE WANT TO PROVIDE THAT AS WELL IN, IN, IN, IN, AND IMPROVE THE SCOPE OF THE, OF DEMOGRAPHIC AREAS.
ANGELA, I, I WANT TO ADD A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE QUICKLY.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT POWER, ELECTRICITY.
MANY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DEPEND ON ELECTRICITY.
TO CHARGE THEIR, UH, MOBIL MOBILITY AIDS MM-HMM
TO BREATHE, THEY USE, UH, VENTILATORS AND FOR OTHER REASONS, THE CHEMO PUMPS.
UM, WE REALLY HAVE TO WORK ON ASSURING RESILIENCE IN OUR POWER GRID.
AND, UH, MANY PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY DIED DURING THE WINTER FREEZE THAT WE DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT BECAUSE THEIR POWER WENT OFF.
AND THAT'S, I, I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA.
SECONDLY, UH, EVERYBODY NEEDS TO HAVE A PERSONAL EVACUATION PLAN AND A GO BAG.
AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, DISABLED OR NOT, I WOULD REALLY BEG YOU ALL TO KNOW IF A DISASTER OCCURRED AND YOU ARE BLOCKED, UH, WHETHER IT'S A FLOOD, A STORM, A FREEZE, OR ANYTHING ELSE, BE SURE TO KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD DO, PLAN AHEAD.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHEN DISASTER HITS, YOU DON'T THINK STRAIGHT, SIMPLE AS THAT.
UH, YOU GET CONFUSED, EVERYBODY GETS, UH, ANXIOUS.
UH, SO THINK AHEAD WHAT YOU WOULD DO, HAVE A PLAN IF IT, IF YOU HAVE A DISABILITY AND YOU NEED HELP, FIGURE OUT WHO YOU'RE GONNA CALL.
AND, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE MEANS TO GET TO YOU IN, IN A TIMELY WAY AND HAVE A BAG READY WITH YOUR NEEDED SUPPLIES, MEDICINE, GLASSES, UH, BACKUP CLOTHING AND, AND YOUR FAVORITE PILLOW IF YOU HAVE ONE.
BUT, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY.
LEX FRIEDEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE INSIGHT ON THE DISABILITY, COMMUNITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
IAN, THANK YOU TOO FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU AND OEM ARE DOING, UH, TO ENHANCE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND EMERGENCY EMERGENCY PLANNING.
I'M GONNA DO A CALL OF ACTION TO ALL OF YOU.
PLEASE WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY CRIP CAMP.
IF YOU, UH, IF YOU RUN INTO JUST A BUNCH OF PEOPLE IN BLUE, DON'T GO TO THAT ONE.
GO TO THE NEXT, GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
THIS IS A DISABILITY REVOLUTION.
UH, YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT DISABILITY JUSTICE MOVEMENTS AND HOW IT ALL BEGAN, AND THAT WILL GIVE YOU A REALLY GOOD INSIGHT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY WITH US.