Family Service Association of Wyoming Valley
"...working with children, individuals, families and communities to achieve their potential."
|
|
Family Service Association of Wyoming Valley "...working with children, individuals, families and communities to achieve their potential." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
*If a banner is popping up indicating that active content is being blocked, please click on the banner and allow the blocked content to run. This will allow you to view the link to Babel Fish at the bottom of this page to translate this page to another language. THERE ARE NO POP UPS ON THIS SITE.*
Community Involvement Network: 1st Responders and Individuals with DisAbilities
The 1st Responders Project is funded by the Pa Developmental DisAbilities Council* and will develop a series of training modules that will help 1st responders understand both general disability respect issues (ie: People First Language **) and specific disAbilities such as Autism, Dementia, and Mental Retardation.
In preparation for the development of these modules, the Project Facilitator, Diana Morris Francis, is talking to various 1st Response entities and taking classes to learn the true nature of the jobs involved (see photo). An Advisory Team has been invited to assist in the creation of these modules that involves professional 1st Responders, community entities, and self-advocates***. Our plan is to make the job of the 1st Responder easier and safer, while keeping the safety and dignity of the individual with a disAbility a goal for all Emergency Personnel.
(Diana Morris Francis, Community Facilitator/Trainer, participating in the 1st section of “Intro to the Fire Service”) *** Advisory team list Advisory Team: Our Team meets quarterly to work together to create trainings that are appropriate and viable for all 1st Responders. All meetings are held at John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitative Medicine in Wilkes-Barre at noon. (Thank you, John Heinz!)
Advisory Input also received from: Sgt. Jim Rutkowski, NE Training Center, PA State Police Capt. Peters, Barracks R, PA State Police Representative Frank Shimkus Senator Raphael Musto and Staff
Diana Morris Francis and Advisory Team member Sharon Quinn (far right) meeting with Lee Evans, President and CEO – Autism Society of America, and Speaker of the House- Representative Dennis O’Brien (far left) regarding 1st Responders and disabilities.
**For information and support on grandparents raising grandchildren and the Grandparents Conference, visit www.raisingourgrandchildren.org.
The First Responder's Disability
Program is supported by a grant from the
For more information on improving the quality of life for ALL
Pennsylvanians, visit the PA
Department of Public Welfare.
|
|
Family
Service Association of Wyoming Valley Web
Site development consultation by New Horizons
|
.jpg) |
In times of
crisis people take for granted that 1st Responders
(Firefighters, Emergency Medical Personnel, and Police) will arrive to
rescue them. What is often forgotten is that some people may need extra
assistance in telling the police about a break in at their home and
others may not be able to leave a burning building without assistance.
Individuals living with disAbilities are more and more part of the
integral fabric of our communities. As such, they deserve not only the
respect and compassion given to “typical” individuals, but they deserve
to have their particular disAbility understood.
