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Red Cross president quits in Katrina aftermath - billingsgazette.com

Link: Red Cross president quits in Katrina aftermath - billingsgazette.com.

NEW YORK - American Red Cross President Marsha Evans announced her resignation Tuesday because of friction with the board of governors, shortly before witnesses and lawmakers at a congressional hearing assailed the charity's response to Hurricane Katrina. Red Cross spokesman Charles Connor said the board was not unhappy with Evans' handling of the hurricane crisis, "but had concerns about her management approach, and coordination and communication with the board." It was the second time in three years that such feuding led to a leadership change after a national disaster. At the hearing in Washington, lawmakers said the Red Cross's uneven response to Katrina calls for major changes in how the charity coordinates with local groups, handles its finances and distributes aid to the disabled.

Katrina's silver lining: school reform | csmonitor.com

Link: Katrina's silver lining: school reform | csmonitor.com.

NEW ORLEANS – Even before hurricane Katrina hit, many New Orleans public schools were falling apart. Some of the oldest structures were physically crumbling. Others were collapsing from poor academic performance and rampant corruption. For decades, the Orleans Parish public school system has been considered one of the worst in the country. So when the storm sunk most of the structures and dispersed all of the students, many here cheered. Now efforts are under way to create a new system - one that many hope will bear no resemblance to its former self.

Philanthropist / Entrepreneur Robert Klein Donates Half Million Dollars to Directly Aid Hurricane Survivors with Disabilities

Link: National Spinal Cord Injury Association - Welcome!.

Philanthropist / Entrepreneur Robert Klein Donates Half Million Dollars to Directly Aid Hurricane Survivors with Disabilities Gift named “The Brian Joseph McCloskey Katrina Survivors with Disabilities Fund”. NSCIA head says “needs of people with disabilities” in hurricane disasters “almost entirely lost” until Klein donation

Equipment Distribution Program

Link: Equipment Distribution Program for people with disabilities and older people displaced by hurricane Katrina and Rita.

People with disabilities and older people in Louisiana were forced to leave wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers, canes, communication devices, adapted computers, CCTVs, hearing aids and other types of medical equipment and assistive technology when they evacuated from the path of Hurricane Katrina and Rita. Others find themselves in need of such devices due to illness and injury resulting from the storm. The Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network (LATAN), in partnership with New Horizons Independent Living Center, Southwest Louisiana Independence Center, Come and Help, and other organizations in the state, are operating an Equipment Distribution Program to receive donated equipment and distribute it to the individuals who need the devices. If you are in need of equipment, call 800.270.6185 or in Baton Rouge 925.9500, or email cpourciau@latan.org. LATAN is currently accepting requests from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita evacuees for equipment needs. We cannot provide specialized equipment but will try to provide suitable temporary equipment to be used until the appropriate equipment can be obtained.
Equipment Donations: To donate equipment, please contact Clara Pourciau at cpourciau@latan.org or 225.925.9500 or Mitch Iddins at middins@nhilc.org or 318.671.8131, ext 113.

Parents in La. home-schooling their kids

Link: Third-grader Alanna Galmiche, 8, is assisted by Belle Chasse Middle School librarian Gwen Newman, left, while her mother Odessa Galmiche looks on Monday, Oct. 3, 2005 in Belle Chaase, La. Galmiche has turned to home-schooling her daughter after being displaced by Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel).

BELLE CHASSE, La. --Tammy Galjour already has a job, working 12-hour shifts as an X-ray technician at a hospital in this normally tidy suburb just outside New Orleans. These days, when she gets home just after dawn, she's grateful to be exhausted, to fall into bed and sleep away the destruction that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita rained down on her town and her state.

Disaster Relief Strategies for Individuals with Disabilities

Link: presented by Lex Frieden, Director, ILRU, and Mark Johnson, Director of Advocacy, Shepherd Center on September 14, 2005.

Presenter Handouts & Transcript of the Web cast:

• About the Presenters
• Hurricane Katrina Relief Assistance for People with Disabilities - Phone Numbers, Web Links, and Other Resources for Organizations and Individuals
• Text transcript of the Web cast
• Transcript of the Web cast (MS Word document)
• Go to archived Web Cast (uses RealOne Player) . Please note: This is an audio Web cast only. The captioned portion of the Web cast is available through the text transcript above.

Support for Families and Schools Affected by Katrina: President Bush Proposes $2.6 Billion for Hurricane Relief

Link: President Bush has proposed that up to $2.6 billion be provided in federal education funding to help families and school systems from the Gulf Coast region that have suffered through Hurricane Katrina as well as communities accepting displaced students..

Devastation from the Aug. 29 storm, which displaced 372,000 school-age children in Louisiana and Mississippi at the start of the new school year, has taken a toll on the education systems in these states, with many area schools completely destroyed or inoperable, while others now serve as shelters.

Request for Information about the Experiences of People with Disabilities Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Link: Request for Information about the Experiences of People with Disabilities Affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

The National Council on Disability (NCD) (www.ncd.gov), an independent federal agency making recommendations to the President and Congress on issues affecting the 54 million Americans with disabilities, is gathering information on how Hurricanes Katrina and Rita affected people with disabilities and their relatives, friends, and neighbors, and how they have affected organizations that have been providing assistance to people with disabilities. Please take a few moments to share your experiences and consider the questions at the end of this document as guidance for your response.

Resources Related to Health Coverage and Hurricane Katrina

Link: Resources Related to Health Coverage and Hurricane Katrina.

As part of the Kaiser Family Foundation commitment to help respond to the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, you will find resources related to an ongoing effort to monitor and study the health coverage and needs of the victims. Check back frequently in the coming months for the latest updates.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND DISASTER RECOVERY

Link: EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND DISASTER RECOVERY.

Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath have reminded us all of the importance of being prepared to respond to emergencies and disasters and the terrible consequences that may occur when we are not. Because of events precipitated by hurricane Katrina, many organizations are reevaluating their preparations to support persons with disabilities in the event of other emergencies and disasters. The Quality Mall's Emergency Response and Disaster Recovery department has many resources that may be helpful to such efforts.