Today at Pacific Standard, I have an interview with Paul Timmons, co-founder of Portlight Strategies. They provide inclusive disaster response to make sure that emergency responders respect the civil rights of disabled folks, they repatriate people with their mobility devices, and they coordinate relief.
I've been watching on social media as Portlight has been helping to coordinate specific rescues and reached out to Paul to get his take on the issues. Here's the big takeaway:
What do readers need to know about people with disabilities and disasters?Donate to Portlight here.
The most important message is for the emergency responders, the emergency management people: There is no disaster loophole when it comes to ensuring the civil rights of people with disabilities. That message drives everything else that goes on in this space.
