What's New:

9/17/05: We are working with the Environmental Health Network to provide supplies for Katrina survivors with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. If you have scent-free/chemical-free supplies to donate, let us know. We could use your financial support as well to cover the costs of purchasing and mailing supplies. Even a dollar or two is useful because it adds up. Currently mailing checks is the only way to send money to EHN, but hopefully they'll get PayPal or some other internet account up soon. Please send checks directly to: EHN, P.O. Box 1155, Larkspur, CA 94977-1155. Be sure to state this is for Katrina.

9/16/05: Press Release: Green Party's Disability Caucus Launches Site for Katrina Survivors With Disabilities.

New Housing Offer as of 9/25/05.

Information for Shelter Providers:

Handouts:

Providing Shelter for People with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity
Providing Shelter for People with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Fibromyalgia

Disability Caucus Contacts:

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, other immune/autoimmune-related conditions: Cyndi Norwitz at (707) 775-4475 (10am-8pm Pacific Time except in emergencies) or cyndi@tikvah.com.

Disabilities not covered above: Cyndi Norwitz at (707) 775-4475 (10am-8pm Pacific Time except in emergencies) or cyndi@tikvah.com.

General:

Katrina Disability Expert Volunteers

You will find more information on the Housing & Shelter page and on the Disability Information page.

Federal Aid:

Every hurricane survivor with a disability MUST register to be able to receive the full range of federal disaster relief assistance. Here are the FEMA registration numbers. Registrants MUST make it clear that they have a disability or chronic health care need.
1/800-621-FEMA
1/800-462-9029
1/800-462-7585 TDD/TTY
http://www.fema.gov/about/process/ (For on-line registration)

Toll-free Hotline:

By dialing 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), callers will be connected to a network of local crisis centers across the country that are committed to crisis counseling. Callers to the hotline will receive counseling from trained staff at the closest certified crisis center in the network. From the Department of Health and Human Services.

Social Security, Medicaid:

If you receive social security benefits, Social Security Administration is working to ensure that individuals continue to receive their retirement or disability checks.
More information is at:
www.socialsecurity.gov/emergency/
1-800-325-0778 TTY
1-800-772-1213 Voice

More info about:
Medicaid and Medicare waiver between states housing hurricane survivors
CMS Actions To Help Beneficiaries, Providers In Katrina Stricken Areas

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Katrina info.

Dr. Margaret Giannini, Director of the US HHS Office on Disability, 202-205-1016.

Centers for Independent Living:

The National Spinal Cord Injury Association writes: "We need to provide a clear picture of the actual needs in the affected states and in the receiving states. Please send me the following information ASAP so we can make our case for disability specialists to be put into place to address disability specific issues from an advocacy perspective to address both medical and non-medical needs. I need as much information as possible in the following categories: Location (town, state), Current living situation, Disability Immediate needs (medicine, food, water, sterile catheters, DME wheelchairs, air mattresses, seat cushions, for example), Additional needs (accessible housing, special education services, for example), Age, Single or family/companions. If you are a CIL or other service provider, what is your current situation? What staffing and other resources (computers, cell/SAT phones for example) are needed? Address, phone, email, Anything else that will help decision makers to address the additional disability specific needs of survivors. Please send to mroth@spinalcord.org. You can reach me at 301 990-6559 or 301 717-7447. Thanks! Marcie Roth Executive Director/CEO National Spinal Cord Injury Association 6701 Democracy Blvd. Suite 300-9 Bethesda, MD 20817 (301) 717-7447 (Direct) (301) 214-4006 (VM) (301) 963-1265 (Fax) (800) 962-9639 (Helpline) mroth@spinalcord.org www.spinalcord.org."

National Spinal Cord Injury Association page with info on Social Security and Louisiana and Mississippi Independent Living Centers affected by Katrina.

Other Sites for Katrina & Disability

Katrina Disaster Relief Information for People with Disabilities and people who want to help them - Run by a CIL in Michigan. Well-detailed housing offers for people with disabilities. Also has disability-specific information. Has become the central clearinghouse for disabiltity information regarding Katrina aftermath.

Justice For All Email List, part of the American Association for People with Disabilities, has an announcement-only internet mailing list with many posts relating to Katrina recovery. Archives available.

Independent Living Research Utilization - Summary of information on other sites, plus some details about benefits and medications.

National Spinal Cord Injury Association

katrinadisability is a listserve for all who are interested in discussion and problem-solving for the urgent and emergent issues of hurricane survivors with disabilities. You may select either individual emails or daily digests. To subscribe, send an e-mail to this address: katrinadisability-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Government & Official Sites on Katrina:

FEMA Mapping and Analysis Center - Maps of the damage

FEMA: The Disaster Assistance Process for Individuals 1-800-621-FEMA (3362). The speech or hearing impaired may call (TTY) 1-800-462-7585.

NIEHS Response to Hurricane Katrina

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Katrina info.

Other Pages on This Site:

Disability Specific Information

Housing, Shelter, & Other Assistance

News and Press Releases

Other Green Party Sites