LATAN Emergency Preparedness Video©
December 2009
The Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network (LATAN) Emergency Preparedness Video© tool includes the “Preparedness, It’s Your Turn!”© Presentation and the “EAD Emergency Readiness Wheel”© through an agreement with EAD & Associates, LLC. It is an all points Emergency Preparedness presentation targeting individuals with disabilities and Seniors. The “Preparedness, It’s Your Turn!”© presentation is the major thrust of the pilot project that the National Organization on Disability Emergency Preparedness Initiative (NOD-EPI), using funds allocated to them by the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund (BCKF), initiated in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama in 2008.
This Emergency Preparedness DVD is the culmination of the pilot project in Louisiana, and we all hope the training continues in our state and others via the video. LATAN has tried to make this DVD as accessible as possible utilizing American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and open captioning for individuals who experience hearing loss or deafness, plus audio description for individuals who are unable to physically see the presentation. The NOD-EPI trainers delivering the presentation have tried to ensure all information on the slides is spoken aloud with the exception of the list of resources available on the accompanying CD. This list will be made available in Microsoft Word format on the CD and on the LATAN website at www.latan.org. Alternate formats are available upon request from LATAN at 225-925-9500 Voice/TDD, 1-800-270-6185 Voice/TDD (LA only toll-free) or by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The LATAN Emergency Preparedness Video© is available for sale on LATAN’s website, www.latan.org, or by calling LATAN at 225-925-9500 Voice/TDD and 1-800-270-6185 Voice/TDD (LA only toll-free), or by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
In addition to NOD-EPI and the BCKF, there are a few more acknowledgements to make to those organizations and individuals who contributed to the DVD portion of the project:
Additional funding was provided by LATAN through a social justice grant from the Tides Foundation and restricted donations made to LATAN. LATAN also provided the invaluable Assistive Technology segment following the presentation.
Access to the “EAD Emergency Readiness Wheel”©, an innovative tool used in the presentation, was provided by Elizabeth A. Davis, Managing Director of EAD & Associates, LLC., Emergency Management and Special Needs Consultants. Copies of this tool may be ordered from the EAD & Associates, LLC’s website at www.eadassociates.com.
Videography was provided by Edward J. Darbone, owner of Treasured Video Productions in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mr. Darbone’s willingness to work with multiple accessibility features enabled us to produce the accessible DVD we envisioned.
We thank Louisiana Rehabilitation Services, Baton Rouge Regional Office, for their generosity in allowing us to film the DVD in its wonderful conference room.
And thanks to the five NOD-EPI project trainers, including the NOD-EPI state liaison, who present on the DVD. They are:
- Alma Stewart, CEO
- Disability and Aging Resource Institute
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- LATAN Board Member (at time of filming)
- Susie Stewart, Program Director
- LATAN Device Demonstration and Device Loan Programs
- Shreveport in North Louisiana
- Scott Wells, Independent Living Specialist
- New Horizons Independent Living Center
- Shreveport, Louisiana
- LATAN Advisory Council Member
Jamie Karam, Program Director
LATAN Device Reutilization Programs and Emergency Preparedness Program
Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Katherine Hoover, Disability Affairs Specialist/ADA Coordinator
Jefferson Parish Office for Citizens with Disabilities
Laplace, Louisiana
LATAN Board Member - Louisiana’s NOD-EPI State Liaison
Initially, “Preparedness, It’s Your Turn!”© was designed to be an hour presentation. We found during our training of over 1000 participants, shorter sessions were preferred so the body of the presentation is broken into two segments, each about thirty minutes in length, to provide you with the option to show the DVD in either one or two sessions.
Susie Stewart is presenting the first segment followed by Scott Wells presenting the second segment. Jamie Karam is presenting the separate Assistive Technology segment followed by a few words from the State liaison, Katherine Hoover.
