This page is for anyone interested in learning more about the mission and role of the office within the agency and the larger emergency management community.
Mission
FEMA is committed to working with public, private and non-profit organizations to build a culture of preparedness and ready the Nation for catastrophic events in a manner that includes and meets the needs of people with disabilities. The Office of Disability Integration and Coordination supports FEMA's commitment to whole community emergency management by providing federal, state, local, tribal and territorial governments as well as public sector and non-profit organizations with the tools, methods and strategies necessary to ensure equal access and delivery of services to people with disabilities in all phases of emergency management.
Role
At the national and regional levels, FEMA convenes disability stakeholders from the public, private and non-profit sectors to identify strategies, create tools and develop solutions to identified gaps in FEMA programs and services to meet the needs of people with disabilities before, during and after disasters. To ensure that all communities are being served during disasters, FEMA has highlighted in it's 2018-2022 Strategic Plan, "FEMA must learn from and work with a broad and inclusive base of stakeholders to understand the circumstances and challenges different groups of people face, particularly those who may have the hardest time in the aftermath of a disaster, such as the agining population and those with access and functional needs."
When disasters strike and FEMA is called upon to support state, local, tribal and territorial governments, FEMA deploys disability integration advisors to advise senior decision makers in the field, provide technical assistance to FEMA programs, and to provide training to deployable emergency managers to ensure the needs of disaster survivors with disabilities are accounted for and their needs are addressed in the delivery of FEMA programs, services and activities.
While disability integration is baked into everything FEMA does, emergency managers at all levels share responsibility for meeting the needs of the whole community - including people with disabilities - in all phases of emergency management. This is without question.
Leadership
FEMA's disability integration mission is led by FEMA Disability Coordinator Linda Mastandrea. Ms. Mastandrea serves as a principal advisor to FEMA Administrator Brock Long on inclusive emergency management, universal design as a critical element of diverse and resilient communities, and preparing the Nation's emergency management workforce to meet the needs of disaster survivors with disabilities. Ms. Mastandrea also serves as the director of FEMA's Office of Disability Integration and Coordination and as the senior official overseeing FEMA's Disability Integration Cadre.
Email Distribution List
To be added to the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination email distribution list, please send your name, email address, city and state to the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination with the subject field “Add - Distribution List."