Disaster Preparedness for Individuals-Module 2: Disability versus Access and Functional Needs

Video Transcription

and the term access and functional needs. Access and functional needs, also known as AFN, is  something that is often used in disaster spaces to describe a group of people. But what is the  difference between disability and AFN? Well, as we discussed in the last module, a disability is a  physical or a mental impairment, or a combination of both, and it always limits one or more of life  activities. When we think about disabilities, you may think about an individual who has cerebral  palsy or who experienced the loss of the limb. You may even think about an individual with a vision impairment, like blindness. However, when we discuss access and functional needs,  this is an entirely different and much larger group. An individual who would be categorized as  AFN may need additional assistance before, during, or after a disaster. But this condition may be  permanent or temporary, and there is no specific diagnosis or evaluation that has to be done in  order for a person to be categorized as AFN or consider themselves as somebody who has access  and functional needs. When we talk about AFN, we may be talking about people with disabilities.  However, we also may be talking about people with limited English proficiency or individuals who  have transportation access issues. Let's look through a few examples. A person with a disability  is very likely to be a person with access and functional needs. However, somebody who is AFN  may have a broken down car, so now they rely on public transportation, which may be disrupted  during the disaster. This would now categorize them as temporarily access and functional needs,  but not having a car would not put them as a person with a disability. However, an individual  could have a disability, but great support services that are always available through family members  that may not be disrupted during a disaster, and therefore they would not have an access and functional need. While there's a lot of crossover between people with disabilities and  people who have access and functional needs, it's important to remember that people with access and  functional needs does not always mean a person with a disability. In our next module, we're going to discuss the types of disaster that Texas and Texans face.

Video Summary

The term "Access and Functional Needs" (AFN) encompasses a broader group than just those with disabilities. While disabilities involve physical or mental impairments limiting life activities, AFN may include temporary conditions needing additional assistance during disasters. Examples include individuals with limited English proficiency or transportation challenges. A person with a disability might have AFN, but not all AFN individuals have disabilities. For instance, someone relying on disrupted public transport during a disaster can be categorized as AFN without having a disability. Understanding the distinction helps address the diverse needs during disasters.

Asset Subtitle

In this module, you will learn the difference between disability versus access and functional needs.

Keywords

Access and Functional Needs

disabilities

disaster assistance

limited English proficiency

transportation challenges