The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies (The Partnership) is a coalition of people with disabilities and disability organizations from across the country providing inclusive emergency response. Our coalition focuses on the access and functional needs of countless people with disabilities who are disproportionately impacted in disasters due to inadequate planning, preparedness, and accessibility.

Following Hurricane Harvey, The Partnership started a hotline to assist people with disabilities in the affected areas. We have maintained that hotline for all other disaster impacted areas nationally. To date, the hotline has assisted over 4000 people with disabilities. Soon after Hurricane Maria, The Partnership sent its first deployment team to directly find and assist members of the community who had disabilities and disability-specific needs.

After Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas, we were able to expand our hotline internationally and sent our co-directors to the Bahamas to work with local disabled people organizations, other volunteer organizations, and the local community. With help from our partners, we were able to provide thousands of dollars’ worth of durable medical equipment to the people of the Bahamas as well as help forge lasting partnerships.

Our next projects include a follow-up trip to the Bahamas to continue to work with the Bahamian people in assessing and responding to the needs following Dorian. Additionally, we partnered with relief organizations to hold a benefit concert to provide support to empower our Bahamian partner organization and the Bahamian community. And as always, we must be prepared to continue in our response to disasters whenever they might hit.

The Partnership has done this work using all-volunteer teams, donations, partnerships, and grants. We aim to continue to grow our capacity to assist people with disabilities after disasters and would like to make the Awesome Foundation a partner in that goal.

What our grantee is saying: "The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies is honored to have received Awesome Disability's November award. This award will support us in our continued efforts to assist in the Bahamas as they continue their recovery from Hurricane Dorian, as well as providing local support to people with disabilities as we go into the winter season. This is possible, in part, because of community commitment and support from organizations like the Awesome Foundation. Thank you. "