Downloadable Resources

Social etiquette and working with people may seem like common sense. But working with people with disabilities introduces many new environmental variables, such as service animals and interpreters. You may find that when you work with people with disabilities you feel uncertain of acceptable social etiquette because the situation is new to you. By reading this guide, you can be prepared to work with interpreters and to respect the work of service animals. The working experience can be positive for everyone.

In addition, you need to learn the terms considered improper, discriminatory, and out-of-date, so you can avoid insulting people with disabilities. If you use these terms you are demonstrating a lack of respect because such terms cause hurt feelings. As in any working relationship, hurt feelings can lead to lack of cooperation, which could lead to the failure of this program. Remember, you need to be respectful of people with disabilities even if you do not believe that such terms are unacceptable.

The NFPA Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide for People with Disabilities was developed in response to the emphasis that has been placed on the need to properly address the emergency procedure needs of the disability community. This Guide addresses the needs, criteria, and minimum information necessary to integrate the proper planning components for the disabled community into a comprehensive evacuation planning strategy.

An update from Oklahoma State University regarding the waking characteristics of smoke alarms.

Research suggests that more students with disabilities are pursuing higher education than in years past, and recent legislative changes, such as those in the Higher Education Opportunity Act and Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, have the potential to increase the number and diversity of this population. GAO was asked to examine (1) what is known about the population of postsecondary students with disabilities; (2) how postsecondary schools are supporting students with disabilities; (3) what challenges, if any, schools face in supporting these students; and (4) how the Department of Education is assisting schools in supporting these students. To conduct this work, GAO analyzed federal survey and some state data; conducted site visits; interviewed agency officials, disability experts, school officials, and students; and reviewed laws, regulations, and literature.

This report, prepared under a 2008 DHS Fire Prevention and Safety Grant, detailed the level of fire safety education for students with disabilities being conducted on campuses.

This is a comprehensive overview of a smoke alarm installation program done in Oklahoma. This report includes detailed information on working with people with disabilities, social ettiquete and appropriate terminology to be used.

Considerable focus has been given in the last few decades to accessibility while “egressability” has not received as much attention. The concept of “egressability" does not imply that the means of egress should be the same for everyone, but that there should be an equal level of life safety for everyone. In Canada, federal and provincial human rights legislation require safe access and egress from buildings for people with disabilities.

This is a topical study from the United States Fire Administration outlining the contributing factors and fires involving people with disabilities.

Easy modifications to your writing style will ensure you communicate effectively with people with disabilities.

The USFA has issued a report on residential fire fatalities (this is not just college, but all residential occupancies). According to this report, being physically disabled is the second leading contributor (25%) behind sleeping (47%).

Recent studies of the wakefulness of different alerts conclude that a strobe light is not effective in waking hard of hearing adults or young adults who are moderately alcohol impaired. There is no study to confirm this finding with adults who are deaf.

These recent studies indicate that a tactile alert device (bed shaker) is effective in waking adults who are hard of hearing and that a square wave lower frequency sound is effective in waking these adults as well as young adults who are moderately alcohol impaired.

People who are deaf or have hearing impairments, those who are blind or have vision impairments, and those with mobility impairments may face unique challenges in an emergency. Their ability to detect a fire or escape its effects may be hindered by their impairments. As a result, people with these impairments are at a greater risk of death or injury due to fire.

The study presented measures the awakening effectiveness of a number of commercially available emergency alerting devices. Three groups of varying hearing levels were tested: hearing able, hard of hearing, and deaf. The devices evaluated are a typical audible smoke detector, a strobe light, and a bed shaker. The subjects were monitored for sleep stage during the single night tests and the emergency alerting devices were activated in Stage 2, Delta and REM stages of sleep.

Results indicate that the audible smoke detector was most effective for the hearing able population and least effective for the deaf population. The recommended alternative to the audible smoke detector, the strobe, was the least effective device when measured against the total United States population. The vibratory tactile devices were most effective across all hearing categories and sleep stage. When the tactile signal of the bed shaker was modified to vibrate intermittently, all persons were effectively aroused.

Plain language ensures that your audience can understand not only the technical terms and concepts but also the directions and descriptions you provide. Writing in a concise form with an emphasis on the most important information will help your audience understand your meaning and engage more fully in the concepts.

A National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer paper written by Tim Leidig, a fire officer and the father of an autistic child.

A topical study issued by the United States Fire Administration looking at the contributing factors and statistics for fires involving people with mental disabilities.

People who are deaf or have hearing impairments, those who are blind or have vision impairments, and those with mobility impairments may face unique challenges in an emergency. Their ability to detect a fire or escape its effects may be hindered by their impairments. As a result, people with these impairments are at a greater risk of death or injury due to fire.

A National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer paper written looking at the issues concerning residents with mobility impairment in a fire district in Wyoming.

A study conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology on the human behavior factors of the World Trade Disaster, including looking at people with disabilities.

People who are deaf or have hearing impairments, those who are blind or have vision impairments, and those with mobility impairments may face unique challenges in an emergency. Their ability to detect a fire or escape its effects may be hindered by their impairments. As a result, people with these impairments are at a greater risk of death or injury due to fire.