Using Overlapping Demographics in Emergency Preparedness and Response

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Using Overlapping Demographics in Emergency Preparedness and Response

Alice Frame – Program Coordinator - Health Promotion for People with Disabilities Initiative - Disabilities Health Unit  – Michigan Department of health and Human Services

In emergency preparedness, it’s important to know how to reach an affected population for service implementation and communication dissemination. This is incredibly important in an emergency that affects people with disabilities – because this is a very large and incredible diverse population. People with disabilities are all unique and have different types of needs. There is not a “disability registry” that will allow responders to reach everyone with a disability all at one time.  Understanding overlapping demographics can help ensure maximum reach and provide numerous ways to identify as many individuals with disabilities as possible.

Here are some demographics that frequently overlap with disability status, and the relevant support services to connect with:

  1. Age -prevalence of disability increases consistently with age. Among individuals 75 years and older, 42.8% have a disability. Older adults are also more likely to use assistive equipment related to their disability, and more likely to have multiple disabilities. Partnering with organizations who provide services to the adult and aging population can help reach these individuals.
  2. Low socioeconomic status– as household income decreased, rates of disability increase – with 47.7% of adults in Michigan with incomes < $20,000 having a disability.  Many income-based public assistance offices serve a large population of people with disabilities. For example, Michigan households with one or more persons with a disability are significantly more likely to receive Food Stamps or SNAP (28%), whereas only 11% of households with no persons with a disability receive these services.
  3. Smoking – the rate of smoking and other tobacco use is significantly higher among the disability population. In Michigan, 27% of people with disabilities report smoking, compared to 18.5% of individuals without disabilities. Smoking cessation programs would serve many individuals with disabilities.  
  4. Homelessness - people with disabilities are more likely to experience homelessness. Among the homeless population, 40% are individuals with disabilities – much higher than the rate of disabilities in the general population. Local shelters and food banks may be able to help find channels through which to reach this population.
  5. Military service – while the data is not clear on the extent to the overlap of disabilities among veterans, it is clear that a significant number of veterans experience service-related disabilities. Estimates vary depending on location and time of service, but roughly 1 in 4 solders who served in Iraq or Afghanistan experience service-related disability. Local Veterans Affairs offices can help reach these populations.
  6. Chronic disease – people with disabilities are significantly more likely to have most chronic conditions. For many, they are more than twice as likely. For example, 60.6% of people with disabilities have been told they have arthritis, compared to only 20.1% of people without disabilities. 
  7. Unemployment – the rate of unemployment is much higher among people with disabilities. Estimates vary, but the Department of Labor states that labor force participation is only 20.8% among people with disabilities, while it is as high as  68.3% among people without disabilities. Employment agencies and unemployment services likely serve a large population of people with disabilities.

Understanding how demographics overlap can help emergency preparedness and response teams to identify resources and channels of information dissemination.