In 2008, California established the Office of Access and Functional Needs (OAFN) within the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. This collection of CalOES online resources identify the needs of individuals with disabilities and others with access or functional needs before, during, and after disasters and to integrate them into the State’s emergency management systems.
OAFN utilizes a whole community approach by offering training and guidance to emergency managers and planners, disability advocates and other service providers responsible for planning for, responding to and helping communities recover from disasters. In short, OAFN plans for the realities of disasters by integrating access and functional needs into everything Cal OES does including partnership development, outreach, training, guidance and providing technical assistance.
OAFN online resources:
- Evacuation & Transportation
- AFN-specific communication recommendations and considerations
- AFN-specific materials, guidance documents, and best practices
- California OAFN Community Network
- Sheltering
To learn more, visit the CalOES Access & Functional Needs webpage