After a four-year streak of mostly quiet hurricane seasons, we’re potentially back in a cone of uncertainty. We know the drill – stock up on essentials, try not to panic and get ready to hunker down. While that’s more than enough to worry about, persons living with disabilities have even more to consider.
Jackie Fortmann, the deputy director of Ability1st, is not only working diligently with me to ensure that our consumers have access to supplies and up-to-date preparedness and safety information, she is also facing barriers of her own.
Jackie uses a manual wheelchair for mobility and lives with her four rescue dogs. If she did have to evacuate, she will not leave them behind, but knows it would be nearly impossible to find a safe place for the whole family.