First Responders Disability Awareness Training


fr-dat

With all of the bad news in the media these days about harmful — and sometimes deadly — interactions between people with disabilities and first responders, here is some good news. Since 2009, Niagara University’s two-day First Responders Disability Awareness Training has successfully worked with law enforcement, firefighters and EMS to be more sensitive and aware of the unique needs of people with various disabilities.

Dave Whalen, program director for FR-DAT, says the biggest challenge is how often first responders demonstrate a total lack of knowledge surrounding disability. “One gentleman with advanced Duchenne muscular dystrophy said to me, ‘I’ve had EMTs break my bones twice and I told them before they lifted me to be careful, my bones are brittle, there’s a certain way to do it,’” says Whalen.

The FR-DAT program teaches responders to respond to a situation without causing further harm, while being sensitive to a person’s disability. Training includes information on identifying a wide range of disabilities, disability etiquette, education on durable medical equipment and the role of service animals.

Recent police abuses are included in the training. “In the law enforcement training, I close every section with an incident that really happened that wasn’t good,” says Whalen. These incidents include the case of Brian Sterner, the Florida quad who was dumped out of his wheelchair by officers from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in 2008.


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