Access and Functional Needs Planning
Crisis impacts all sectors of the Global economy, however, within your business, it is often individuals with access and functional needs (AFN) (i.e. people with disabilities, older employees, staff with limited English proficiency, and the transportation disadvantaged) that are disproportionally impacted by the crisis. Risk Resiliency can partner with your business to identify the needs of individuals with disabilities and others with access or functional needs before, during, and after disasters and to integrate their needs into your company’s planning and response processes.
Risk Resiliency takes a whole workforce approach to AFN and utilizes a whole community approach by offering existing plan assessments, evacuation tactical and procedural reviews, developing training for employee awareness, and guidance on the critical elements of any emergency planning process. Risk Resiliency helps your business plan for the realities of disasters by integrating access and functional needs into your emergency planning, response, and recovery programs.
Access and functional needs (AFN) refers to individuals who are or have:
- Physical, developmental, or intellectual disabilities
- Chronic conditions or injuries
- Limited English proficiency
- Older adults
- Children
- Low income, homeless, and/or transportation disadvantaged (i.e., dependent on public transit)
- Pregnant women
AFN Services We Offer
Communications Support
We can review your communications program to ensure that your communications reach all of your employee community. Risk Resiliency can develop fully functional crisis communications plans or just review your material, conduct an assessment, and provide any AFN-specific communication recommendations and considerations for your crisis communications program.
Evacuation & Transportation
It is crucial, and a regulatory requirement in many states, that companies consider ALL employees when developing AFN-specific evacuation needs and transportation recommendations for evacuation from area-wide incidents. We can help you with your planning considerations and provide a robust and repeatable process for keeping your people safe from harm.
Sheltering
If your company has sheltering in place as a component of its crisis and emergency management planning and response strategy. Risk Resiliency can help you assess your current strategy, ensure that your planning meets state regulations, and develop plans that incorporate AFN-specific sheltering recommendations and considerations.
Access and Functional Needs (AFN) Resources
Risk Resiliency has provided links to several local, state, and Federal resources to help with your planning needs.