May 2024

Welcome

If this is your first time receiving our newsletter, we welcome you! This newsletter provides resources and information on preparing and planning for public health emergencies with a focus on the Disability, Access, and Functional Needs (DAFN) community.

Who We Are

The DAFN unit is housed in the City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) Division. We work with community partners and listen to our DAFN community to ensure that their needs are met during public health emergencies.

Five people pose side-by-side for a group photo indoors in front of a door with a glass window displaying a yellow paper fan.

DAFN Team

Left to right: Annerose Penalba (she/her) is an Asian woman with brown medium length hair wearing a black and grey sweater. Kim Vuong (she/her) is an Asian woman with a black pixie cut wearing a black jacket. McKenzie Stribich (she/her) is a white woman with brown curly hair wearing a red long sleeve shirt. Esme Garcia (she/her) is a Latina woman with brown skin, dark brown curly hair wearing a black zipped up jacket. Saturne Sam (she/her) is an Asian woman with long black hair wearing a red long sleeve shirt.

May - Global Accessibility Awareness Month

Thursday, May 16th was Global Accessibility Awareness Day

GAAD is just one day a year, but digital accessibility should be an everyday practice. Click on the following links to learn more about how you can make your digital resources more accessible:

Accessible Social | Digital.Gov | DOR CA

Learn More

Smartphone screen showing a computer monitor with a webpage titled "Disability, Access, and Functional Needs (DAFN)." On-screen text reads: "Visit our website at longbeach.gov/DAFN to learn more."

Please enjoy this brief video on digital accessibility, made by our team.

@lbhealthdept on Instagram

Watch Here

Save The Date

July 11-12, 2024

The National AFN Symposium will bring the disability community together with emergency managers, disaster planners, and first responders from across the country in an online forum.

September 24-27, 2024

Ventura County is hosting the first-of-its-kind statewide Government and Disability Summit. Conference attendees will learn how to address barriers to access by learning from best practices, challenges, and experiences from across the state. Topics to be covered include emergency preparedness, health, transportation and much more.

DAFN Lunch and Learns

Three people in a room with mobility devices, with rollators in the background. A person demonstrating how to use a child’s wheelchair.

Various mobility aids including a wheelchair, two walkers, and a man holding a cane in a room with a projection screen in the background.

Two people demonstrating a knee scooter and a pink walker to a seated audience in a meeting room.

Man in a wheelchair speaking into a microphone.

The DAFN team has hosted several successful “Lunch and Learns” to strengthen our PHEM team’s knowledge on accessible and equitable emergency planning and response. Most recently, Disabled Resources Center presented on the different types of durable medical equipment, its uses, and how to fold it up for storage and transport. If you would like to present during our Lunch and Learns, please complete the linked form below.

Interest Form

Partner Visit

Green sign on display board reads, "Communities Actively Living Independent and Free."

Two people in an office space with mobility devices, a counter with various items, and cabinets labeled "PARTS," "CCAF," and "HAND TOOLS."

Five people standing in a hallway next to a banner titled "Disability Disaster Access & Resources."

Earlier this month, some of our team attended Disability Disaster Access and Resources (DDAR) and the CALIF-ILC monthly disaster preparedness movie day in downtown Los Angeles. We had the opportunity to meet their staff and learn about the great impact their work has in the region. We look forward to partnering with them as we continue to look for ways to best support the DAFN community during emergencies.

In case you missed last month's newsletter, click the button below!

April 2024 Newsletter

Visit longbeach.gov/dafn or email he-dafn@longbeach.gov

Connect with us @lbhealthdept