ADA National Network/FEMA Webinar Series: Including Disability: The Updated California Office of Emergency Services Active Shooter Awareness Guidance

On December 2, 2015, terrorists attacked the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. Because the center serves individuals with intellectual disabilities, initial reports indicated the attack was an assault on the disabled. Though we later learned this was not the case; the thought of an attack on individuals with disabilities raised serious concerns over the current lack of guidance regarding the access and functional needs (AFN) related considerations associated with an active shooter attack.

Through its Office of Access and Functional Needs (OAFN), the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) worked with Law Enforcement, the California Specialized Training Institute, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities and other disability stakeholders to revise the state's active shooter awareness guidance. The updated guidance, which is now publicly available, is the first-of-its-kind to integrate access and functional needs to promote the safety and security of individuals with disabilities and persons with access and functional needs before, during and after an active shooter attack.

Learning objectives:

• Develop a familiarity with the Cal OES Active Shooter Awareness Guidance document and the process used to integrate access and functional needs within it.

• Understand how to utilize the guidance to promote the safety, security and empowerment of individuals with disabilities and persons with access and functional needs.

• Learn how to use the guidance to update their respective active shooter awareness resources.