For most people, preparing for storms is routine, but for people with disabilities, it can be a significant challenge. As the cold fronts fade, Alachua County shifts its focus to the upcoming hurricane season.
The Fourth Alachua County Emergency Preparedness Expo was held on Thursday at the Senior Recreation Center with a focus on this often-overlooked community.
Organized by the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida, the event aimed to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind in disaster planning.
“They don’t think anybody’s there for them. And I can be that person for them,” said Mark Brisbane, 58, core services manager of the Center for Independent Living Programs. Brisbane, who also lives with physical disabilities, understands these struggles firsthand.
A diving accident 41 years ago left Brisbane quadriplegic, but it didn’t stop his commitment to service. In 2009, he joined the organization to support others with mental and physical disabilities.
According to the Florida Department of Health, Alachua County had 5,812 people with an independent living disability in 2023, representing at least 3% of the county’s population.
During the expo, attendees of all ages received information from various organizations, including Alachua County Ready, Gainesville Fire Rescue Department, Three Rivers Legal Services, and Disability Rights Florida, among others.
Kevin Towles, consumer specialist and event organizer for the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida, emphasized that the biggest challenge is ensuring effective communication and awareness between available resources and the disability community.
“We have seen people with disabilities in the past. They have been left behind,” Towles said. “People with disabilities of all types don’t know there are resources available to them.”
Brooklyend Bell, a woman with special needs, was among a group of adults who attended the event through the New Creation Adult Day Training Center. She said the presentations were helpful, and she enjoyed the talks and raffles, calling the experience fun.
Most attendees came with the New Creation Adult Day Training Center, an organization that provides educational and recreational services for adults with special needs in the county.
Erin Howard, a teacher at the center, emphasized that events like this are crucial in helping adults with special needs and disabilities understand their rights as individuals.
According to Howard, most participants live in group homes, and many are unaware of their rights, particularly when it comes to recognizing and addressing abuse.
“We want everybody to have knowledge of what’s going on. Every year, the storms are different, and everybody has different needs,” Towles said.
Although the event was focused on a specific population, everyone was welcome to take advantage of the resources available.
The event will be held again in Marion County on March 25 from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the College of Central Florida. In Putnam County, the event is scheduled for April 24.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
