Dismal Report Card for Katrina Aftermath Care for Persons with Disabilities
Reports continue to come in regarding how persons with disabilities fared in the aftermath of Katrina in the New Orleans area. New Mobility magazine reported that a number of wheelchair users were evacuated without their wheelchairs, while others were placed on bridges or underpasses for up to 12 hours without a cushion to sit on to prevent skin breakdown. Dwayne Russ indicated that he and at least 40 other wheelchair users were evacuated from Charity Hospital and crammed into an 18-wheeler in which they were transported to the airport. Once there, they were abandoned by the nurses accompanying them and they spent the next three days on cots in the airport.
Other persons with physical disabilities were displaced to nursing homes without their wheelchairs, and remain in nursing homes as of this writing. There continues to be a critical shortage of accessible and affordable housing in New Orleans and across the nation. Those individuals who were able to obtain a $2,000 credit card from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), quickly depleted their relief money in purchasing ostomy supplies. Disability advocates have chastised the mainstream media and the government for essentially ignoring the plight of displaced persons with disabilities from the hurricane. Anyone wishing to assist in rebuilding efforts may donate a check to: New Mobility Katrina Rebuilding Fund, P.O. Box 220, Horsham, PA, 19044.