Remarks of Nadia Ibrahim, Policy Advisor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP): Job Accommodations Network

Meeting of October 25, 2005, Washington D.C. on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities:
Is the Workplace Ready?

In 1997, while working as an indexer for Macmillan Publishing USA at the headquarters in Indianapolis, IN, a fire broke out on a lower floor of the building. Our company was one of three or four in the building, and we occupied several floors. I recall the following:

• Being carried down the stairs by several male co-workers who were in the same area. Every few flights, the two men would alternate who carried me. More than once I was almost dropped;
• Leaving my power wheelchair on the 5th floor. My current chair cost about $9,000. It weighs nearly 300 lbs. with me in it;
• Having to sit in someone’s car while we waited for the ‘all clear’ from firefighters. I cannot stand on my own or sit without support.
• Working with staff after the incident to identify an appropriate evacuation device, and identifying several staff who could help me in the event of an emergency;
• Practicing how to use the device and instructing co-workers how to best transfer me into the evacuation chair, as well as participating in a few all-employee drills;
• Discussing how certain situations would be handled (e.g., being away from my desk, not having a designated co-worker nearby, etc.).

Following that incident, we were evacuated another time. While it turned out to be a false alarm, we were much better prepared that time.

These experiences and the opportunity to work with several survivors of the September 11th terrorist attack on the Pentagon have certainly shaped my interest of this topic.

As a policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Labor, I have had the privilege of working this initiative for nearly two years. It is my hope that my contribution in this area will help to make the workplace safer for millions of Americans.

Contact information:

Nadia Ibrahim, M.A., LGSW
Policy Advisor
Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)
U.S. Department of Labor--Room S1011
200 Constitution Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20210
(202) 693-7910 (Voice)
(202) 693-7881 (TTY)
(202) 693-7888 (Fax)
Ibrahim.Nadia@dol.gov

This page was last modified on October 25, 2005.