______________________
Opening Remarks: Hilary Styron

Director for the National Organization on Disability's Emergency Preparedness Initiative (Conference Chairperson)
_________________________

Keynote Speaker: Vice Admiral Harvey Johnson

Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer, Federal Emergency Management Agency
_________________________

Special Guest Speaker: Claudia Gordon

Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
_________________________

Federal Sector Updates and Implications on Emergency Management Planning and Response

This panel will focus on recent progress in emergency management for people with disabilities at the Federal level and how these changes may effect the state and local levels. After-action reports from Katrina, results from the Nationwide Plan Review, recently released GAO reports, and legislative changes will be shared and discussed.

_________________________

Evacuation Planning: Innovation and New Practice

This panel will concentrate on mass evacuation planning for people with disabilities. Transportation planners will share concepts and strategies for coordination of logistics and personnel necessary to move hospital or congregate care patients, of people living independently who need transportation assistance.
_________________________

Can You Hear Me Now? Early Warning and Communication

This panel will concentrate on alternate formats of warning and notification for people with disabilities. Information on recent FCC rulings and communication hearings from Katrina will be discussed.
_________________________

Networking Lunch, Sponsored by Homeland Defense Journal

Introductory Remarks: Michael Reeves Deland, President, National Organization on Disability Keynote Speaker: Honorable Governor Tom Ridge, Former Secretary Department of Homeland Security (Chairman of the Board, National Organization on Disability)
_________________________

Networking Lunch

Introductory Remarks: Michael Reeves Deland, President, National Organization on Disability Keynote Speaker: Honorable Governor Tom Ridge, Former Secretary Department of Homeland Security (Chairman of the Board, National Organization on Disability)
_________________________

Workplace Safety: Beyond OSHA

This panel will provide attendees information on establishing disability preparedness teams in the workplace, identifying employees with disabilities, addressing workplace planning and special considerations for notification and alert of emergencies.
_________________________

Planning for Elderly and Pediatric Populations

This panel will provide information on addressing planning needs for medically fragile and elderly populations.
_________________________

Day One Closing Remarks

Jack McGuire, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross
_________________________

Meet Me Halfway: Bringing Emergency Management and Disability Together

This panel will highlight successful disability preparedness community based education and outreach programs. Speakers will provide information on how to effectively reach out to population and integrate stakeholders, advocates, and service providers into education and outreach programs. Lessons learned from local emergency managers will be highlighted.
_________________________

Service Animals and Durable Medical Equipment

This panel will provide information on service animals and pets during emergencies, including new legislation that requires emergency managers to include pet populations in emergency sheltering plans.
_________________________

Cognitive Disabilities and Emergency Preparedness

This panel will discuss issues necessary to address cognitive disabilities, mental health disabilities, and developmental disabilities in terms of emergency preparedness. Techniques for creative instruction, messaging, and integrating these issues into all disability planning will be addressed.
_________________________

Closing the Gap: Everything You Wanted to Know About Preparedness for People with Disabilities, But Were Afraid To Ask

This interactive panel will enable the audience to have difficult questions answered by one of the Nation's leading experts on disability preparedness. Attendees will be able to submit questions on cards throughout day one and two. Questions will then be randomly selected based on diversity of question and value-added information to the attendees.
_________________________

Closing Remarks: Michael D. Brown

Former Under Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security