Project Description:
Project REDD was created in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in response to the overwhelming need of individuals with disabilities that were displaced to the State of Texas following these disasters.
The mission of Project REDD: Research and Education on Disability and Disaster is to conduct basic research on the effects of disaster on individuals with disabilities, as well as evaluation research on projects that deliver direct services during disaster. Project REDD also provides evidence-based workshops, presentations, technical support, and products for practitioners in the field of emergency management.
Project REDD is engaged in continuing research on the case management and long term recovery of Hurricane Katrina survivors with disabilities. In addition, researchers with Project REDD are studying the experiences of individuals with disabilities sheltered in the general population during Hurricane Ike. Project REDD has collaborated with a broad range of other academic and research entities in investigating issues of critical importance to individuals with disabilities affected by disaster including long-term recovery, case management, sheltering, and preparedness. Past and current collaborations have included researchers from the University of Texas Southwest Medical School, National Center on Post Traumatic Stress Disorders, the Independent Living Research Utilization Center at The Institution for Rehabilitation Research Memorial Hermann Hospital, and the University of Texas School of Social Work, as well as other organizations. Project REDD has also established linkages with other UCEDDs who conduct disaster research including researchers at the University of New Mexico, Utah State University, the University of Kansas, and the University of Wyoming and collaborates with these partners in research presentations with these partners at the annual meeting of the American Association of University Centers on Disabilities. Project REDD staff regularly present research professional conferences and venues including at the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, TASH: Disability Worldwide, Council for Exceptional Children, Disaster Education in Disaster Mental Health, American Association on Health and Disabilities, and at the Natural Hazards Center at Texas A&M University.
Project REDD provides training for consumers and service providers to assist with disaster recovery. Workshops have been presented at the Texas Homeland Security Conference, Texas Hurricane Conference, Texas Nursing Association, Houston Voluntary Agencies for Disasters, Brazos Valley Caregiver's Association, and at the Texas State Voluntary Agencies on Disaster Conference. Project REDD has collaborated with Texas Interagency Interfaith Disaster Response to train Katrina Aid Today case workers in Texas on disability-related services in the state.
Project REDD maintains a presence in the Texas disaster community by serving as a resource to agencies and organizations from the local level to the national level. Project REDD regularly communicates with the Texas Governor's Office, Advocacy Inc., the Disability Policy Consortium, Texas Interagency Interfaith Disaster Response, Central Texas Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster, Gulf Coast Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster, and the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
Project REDD, with direct support from the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University, has produced two resource guides; the Disaster Acronym Guide and the Texas Guide to Supports and Services for Individuals with Disabilities and Their Families Affected by Disasters and disseminated over 8,000 of these resources throughout the state as well as nationally to other organizations providing disaster-related services to individuals with disabilities.
Funding for Project REDD has come from a range of public and private sources including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Association of University Centers on Disability, and the National Disability Rights Network.
Project REDD continued to address the needs of people with disabilities affected by Hurricane Harvey. Project staff provided training, technical assistance, and educational materials to long-term recovery committees, disaster case managers, emergency managers, VOADs, community-based groups, and disability-related organizations in the State of Texas on the support and resource needs of individuals with disabilities or other access and functional needs affected by Hurricane Harvey. Materials and online training are disseminated to long-term recovery committees, disaster case managers, VOADs, community-based groups and disability-related organizations in all counties and cities affected by Hurricane Harvey. The REDDy Directory (REsources on Disaster and Disability) was originally project co-funded by AIDD and AUCD in 2017 to respond to the needs of people with disabilities following Hurricane Harvey. The REDDy Directory has been a collaboration between the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University and the Texas Center for Disability Studies at the University of Texas. During 2020-2021 the REDDy Directory served as a template to create a COVID-19 Directory for resources and services for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Project REDD maintains communication with the Texas Governor's Office on Disability, the State of Texas Office of Emergency Management, Texas Disability Rights, Central Texas Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster, the University of Texas Southwest Medical School, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the Independent Living Research Utilization center at The Institution for Rehabilitation Research Memorial Hermann Hospital, the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado, and the American Association on Health and Disabilities as well as other organizations. Project REDD has established linkages with many other UCEDDs who are also conducting research in this area including UCEDDs at the University of New Mexico, the University of Kansas, Utah State University, the University of Wyoming, the University of Southern Mississippi, the Temple UCEDD, the University of South Dakota UCEDD, the University of MN UCEDD, the Georgetown UCEDD, and the University of Delaware UCEDD. Project REDD responds on a weekly basis to emails or calls from pre departments, police departments, MHMR offices, offices of emergency management, and disability-related organizations. It provides leadership to AUCDs Emergency Preparedness SIG.
---Project REDD Fiscal Year 2021---
The objectives of Project REDD are to:
1. Conduct high-quality research and evaluation studies on how disasters affect individuals with disabilities in their families, and
2. Provide research-based training, education, and outreach on the topic of disability and disaster for organizations, service providers, and individuals.
During 2020-2021 Project REDD focused its efforts on needs of people with disabilities during COVID-19. Presentations and trainings were provided remotely, with materials continuing to be disseminated to emergency managers, long-term recovery committees, disaster case managers, VOADs, community-based groups and disability-related organizations across the State of Texas. Three activities of significance during FY 2021 were 1) development and dissemination of COVID-19 information and materials focusing on the needs of people with disabilities to over 600 emergency managers and voluntary agencies, 2) collaboration with the University of MN UCEDD on IMPACT: A Special Issue on Crisis Management for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, and 3) redesign and updating of the REDDy Directories for COVID-19 and Hurricane Harvey to increase accessibility and facilitate efficient searching of disaster-related resources for people with disabilities.
Project REDD continued to address the needs of people with disabilities affected by Hurricane Harvey. Project staff provided training, technical assistance, and educational materials to long-term recovery committees, disaster case managers, emergency managers, VOADs, community-based groups, and disability-related organizations in the State of Texas on the support and resource needs of individuals with disabilities or other access and functional needs affected by Hurricane Harvey. Materials and online training are disseminated to long-term recovery committees, disaster case managers, VOADs, community-based groups and disability-related organizations in all counties and cities affected by Hurricane Harvey. The REDDy Directory (REsources on Disaster and Disability) was originally project co-funded by AIDD and AUCD in 2017 to respond to the needs of people with disabilities following Hurricane Harvey. The REDDy Directory has been a collaboration between the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University and the Texas Center for Disability Studies at the University of Texas. During 2020-2021 the REDDy Directory served as a template to create a COVID-19 Directory for resources and services for individuals with disabilities and their families.
Project REDD maintains communication with the Texas Governor's Office on Disability, the State of Texas Office of Emergency Management, Texas Disability Rights, Central Texas Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster, the University of Texas Southwest Medical School, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, the Independent Living Research Utilization center at The Institution for Rehabilitation Research Memorial Hermann Hospital, the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado, and the American Association on Health and Disabilities as well as other organizations. Project REDD has established linkages with many other UCEDDs who are also conducting research in this area including UCEDDs at the University of New Mexico, the University of Kansas, Utah State University, the University of Wyoming, the University of Southern Mississippi, the Temple UCEDD, the University of South Dakota UCEDD, the University of MN UCEDD, the Georgetown UCEDD, and the University of Delaware UCEDD. Project REDD responds on a weekly basis to emails or calls from pre departments, police departments, MHMR offices, offices of emergency management, and disability-related organizations. It provides leadership to AUCDs Emergency Preparedness SIG.
Total Funding FY 2021: $30,000
Center on Disability and Development Core Grant: $20,000
Stough, L. M. (2020). Disability and COVID-19 Working Group. This COVID-19 Working Group effort was supported by the National Science Foundation-funded Social Science Extreme Events Research (SSEER) Network and the COVERGE facility at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder (NSF Award #1841338). 4/18/2020-6/19/2020.. Role: Principal Investigator, Project Director, Author.
Stough, L. M. (2018-2019). Disability and disaster long-term recovery training (D2 LTRT) in inclusion and support of individuals with disabilities. American Red Cross. 9/2/2018-8/31/2019. $249,769. Role: Principal Investigator, Project Director, Author.
