Are You Ready for an Emergency at Work?
When you are starting your job, chances are your first concern isn’t the company’s emergency plan. You should be, though, making sure you know what the company’s plans are. As an American with disabilities, you have special concerns; it’s very important to make sure you are ready.
“It’s very important for you and the company to be prepared in case something happens,” said Alan Hubbard, NTI’s Chief Operating Officer. “The last thing you want is not to be ready. If you are an American with disabilities, you want to make sure you have everything you need.”
For more than 25 years, NTI has been helping Americans with disabilities find at-home call center jobs with government organizations, Fortune 500, large, and small businesses.
As part of October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), NTI is taking part in “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion” theme to ensure Americans with disabilities are a major part of the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Every October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions people with disabilities have made to America’s workforce and the economy.
Make sure you know the exit and the procedures for getting out of the building safely. If you have told your employer about your disability, make sure arrangements have been made to help you get out.
“If you can’t use the stairs or if you are blind, you want to make sure have assistance available for you,” said Hubbard. “You want to make sure you can get to a safe place in case of an emergency.”
Other suggestions from the Social Security Administration focus on making sure you have your own precautions in place.
Anything you are using on a regular basis, like electrical devices, including a wheelchair, make sure you have charge batteries ready to go if need. Having a flashlight and a spare copy of glasses are also good ideas.
“You also should make sure you have any food you might need in case of being sheltered for a long period of time,” said Hubbard. “It’s always important to be prepared.”
The Social Security Administration also suggests making sure you have copies of health information with you.
“Having an emergency kit can help you be ready and keep you safe if something happens,” said Hubbard. “It is very important to make sure you are prepared.”
(NTI helps Americans with disabilities find at-home call center jobs with Fortune 500 companies, government organizations, large and small businesses. You can register for free job training and placement at www.ntiathome.org.)