March 12, 2009                                                   

Contact: Michele Roseman
Phone:   301- 589-3786 or
              202-674-4394        
E-mail:   [email protected]

                                                                                                       
CEPIN, AAPD Partnership Provides Special Needs and Emergency Management Community Web Based Training

The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) announced its partnership with the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) to develop a Web based training for special needs and emergency management communities.   The training is provided through a Federal Emergency Management Agency funded  grant and sets the stage for special needs communities and emergency management to work together and lessen the impact of disasters.
 
The CEPIN self-paced, Web based training will: increase public awareness about challenges that people with special needs face during disasters; examine gaps in emergency plans that serve the special needs population; and start the dialogue needed to develop mutual understanding and respect between the special needs and emergency management communities.

 "CEPIN is excited about a chance to work alongside AAPD," Neil McDevitt, the Program Director of CEPIN said. "We have similar goals and this collaboration will make it easier for us to meet more of the needs within the entire special needs community. This partnership is also a way for us to empower both communities with the tools needed to provide and receive more effective services in the face of disasters. Our efforts will send a clear message that collaboration and pre-planning works."

"Through this partnership with CEPIN, AAPD will provide advisory support with respect to the soundness and relevance of the training content. It is important that the training is accessible and usable for everyone," said Jenifer Simpson, AAPD's Senior Director for Technology Initiatives.  

"People with disabilities are among the special needs populations who can be most adversely affected in emergency situations," Simpson added. "AAPD wants to raise awareness of these needs at the community, state and national levels through training efforts that encourage emergency managers to work directly with the disability community and other special needs groups. CEPIN's training will be a big step forward in reaching this goal." 

CEPIN's Web-based training is being developed with the help of subject matter experts from AAPD and other organizations. Training pilots are expected to begin Spring 2009 and CEPIN anticipates launching the course in late Fall 2009.
 
This partnership is a continuation of the long and productive relationship between Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc (TDI), CEPIN's parent organization, and AAPD.  The two organizations are charter members of the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology and were also heavily involved in sponsoring Presidential debates on disability issues during the 2008 campaign.
 

 
About AAPD: 
Founded in 1995, AAPD is the largest national cross-disability membership organization in the United States. AAPD is dedicated to organizing the disability community to be a powerful force for change - socially, politically and economically.  AAPD fulfills this mission through career and leadership programs for individuals with disabilities, policy initiatives and public awareness activities. AAPD is a founding and steering committee member of the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT). For further information, visit www.aapd.comand www.coataccess.com. 
 
About CEPIN: 
The CEPIN Project is coordinated by Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI).   The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded TDI nearly $3 million to develop model community education programs for emergency responders and special needs populations.   For more information about CEPIN, visit www.cepintdi.org
 
This program is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 2007-GT-T7-K006, administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FEMA; National Preparedness Directorate; Training Operations. Points of view or opinions in this program are those of the author(s) and do not represent the position or policies of the Department of Homeland Security; FEMA.

 About TDI:
TDI is a consumer advocacy organization that provides leadership in achieving equal access to telecommunications, media, and information technologies for 31 million Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing. TDI publishes the TDI World quarterly magazine and the annual TDI National Directory & Resource Guide, also known as the Blue Book. For more information on supporting TDI's work or to become a member, please go to www.tdi-online.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                

March 12, 2009                                                   

Contact: Michele Roseman
Phone:   301- 589-3786 or
              202-674-4394        
E-mail:   [email protected]
                                                                                                       
The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop and launch a unique, Web based training for special needs populations and emergency managers. The CEPIN self-paced training will: increase public awareness about challenges that people with special needs face during disasters; examine gaps in emergency plans that serve the special needs population; and start the dialogue needed to develop mutual understanding and respect between the special needs and emergency management communities.

The CEPIN training reflects FEMA's current definition of the "special needs" population. The original definition only referred to people with physical or mental disabilities. FEMA's new definition is expanded to include all people whose functional needs are jeopardized during times of disaster.

"The training will be valuable to emergency managers and the special needs population,"  Neil McDevitt, the Program Director of CEPIN said. "Emergency management and special needs communities need to work together before and during times of crises. Without collaboration, both groups will not know or be able to share their expectations in the face of disaster. The CEPIN training will set the stage for the communities' resources to be discovered and accessed before they are needed."

Participants who take the CEPIN course will be prepared to:
- Understand the importance of collaboration between emergency management and special needs populations as part of preparedness and response activities.

- Understand how to collaborate effectively with emergency managers or special needs populations.

- Understand the elements or steps needed to prepare for and respond to a variety of emergency situations involving special needs populations.

- Understand and network with the local, state, and national (public and private) resources that are available for response to emergency and disaster response situations that includes special needs populations.
  
CEPIN's Web-based training is being developed with the help of subject matter experts from other organizations. Training pilots are expected to begin Spring 2009 and CEPIN anticipates launching the course in late Fall 2009.
 
About CEPIN:
The CEPIN Project is coordinated by Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI).   The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded TDI nearly $3 million to develop model community education programs for emergency responders and special needs populations.   For more information about CEPIN, visit www.cepintdi.org
 
This program is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 2007-GT-T7-K006, administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FEMA; National Preparedness Directorate; Training Operations. Points of view or opinions in this program are those of the author(s) and do not represent the position or policies of the Department of Homeland Security; FEMA.

About TDI:
TDI is a consumer advocacy organization that provides leadership in achieving equal access to telecommunications, media, and information technologies for 31 million Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing. TDI publishes the TDI World quarterly magazine and the annual TDI National Directory & Resource Guide, also known as the Blue Book. For more information on supporting TDI's work or to become a member, please go to www.tdi-online.org

 
Neil McDevitt, the Program Director of the Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN),  announced that Michele Roseman is the new Outreach Coordinator for CEPIN.  In this capacity, Mrs. Roseman will raise awareness about CEPIN’s self-paced, Web based training for special needs and emergency management communities at the community, state and national levels.

“I look forward to working with Mrs. Roseman as CEPIN continues to make inroads within the special needs and emergency management communities. Her background and years of experience will prove to be invaluable to our worthwhile efforts,” Mr. McDevitt said.

Mrs. Roseman joins CEPIN from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF), where she provided editorial and media management services. Prior to joining CBCF, she worked on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) to heighten awareness within the Arab-Muslim community about CRCL’s missions. Her singular efforts resulted in CRCL receiving an unprecedented level of media attention from the Arab-Muslim, national and local news outlets.

“This project is a great opportunity for TDI to reach out and educate people who serve their communities with distinction such as state and local government officials and emergency managers,” says Claude Stout, executive director of Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI), CEPIN’s parent organization.  Mr. Stout adds, “Ultimately, it is the diverse population of people with special needs throughout America that stand to benefit from Michele’s hard work.”

In her 18 years of industry experience, Mrs. Roseman has provided editorial and proposal writing; translation/interpretation services; and speech writing to a wide array of corporate and Federal government entities.

She earned her bachelor's degree from Bucknell University and her master's degree from American University. The native New Yorker is conversationally fluent in Spanish and resides in the Washington, DC metropolitan area with her husband, Kyle.

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About CEPIN: The CEPIN Project is coordinated by Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc.  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has awarded TDI nearly $3 million to develop model community education programs for emergency responders and special needs populations.   For more information about CEPIN, visit www.cepintdi.org

 
About TDI:  TDI is a membership organization that promotes equal access to telecommunications, media, and information technology for 31 million Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing. TDI educates and encourages consumer involvement regarding legal rights regarding access to technology; provides technical assistance and consultation to industry, associations, and individuals; encourages accessible applications of existing and emerging technologies in all sectors of the community; advises on and promotes the uniformity of standards for technologies; works in collaboration with other deaf and disability organizations, government, industry, and academia; develops and advocates national policies that support accessibility issues; and publishes TDI World quarterly magazine, TDI Briefs newsletter, and the annual TDI National Directory & Resource Guide or the Blue Book.   For more information or to become a member or subscriber, go to http://www.tdi-online.org/.