Access and Functional Needs (AFN) is for people requiring special care, especially in times of need like disasters such as a hurricane. Access and Functional Needs include people with physical and mental disabilities, barring them from functioning either optimally or normally like everyone else. Physical disabilities, for instance, may hinder someone from accessing a flight of stairs while mental disability may impair someone from understanding what someone else is saying.
In the event of a hurricane event with early warning and an evacuation underway, it is paramount that first responders and any other emergency responders comprehend that such a population has AFN. Comprehension of such nature will aid both them and the person in need of evading the disaster. As an adult with autism, I expect that emergency responders will have the knowledge and skill to help me during the evacuation situation. Evacuation is a challenging situation that requires people to act hastily but calmly. Commonly, confusion emerges in such scenarios, and some may prove fatal. People may pay little attention to people with AFN. As a person with autism, I expect both public health officials and responders to have prior information that I exist and my home address. The information is vital to identifying me and knowing how to handle me.
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As a person with autism, common symptoms include but not limited to:
Getting very anxious about social situations
Failing to understand what others are feeling or thinking
Seeming rude or blunt to others without being intentional
Difficulties in expressing feeling let alone discussing it
Being used to the same routine and become restless when it changes
Upset when touched or space invaded
Planning before executing
It has been observed that during disasters, persons with AFN require additional response assistance before, during, and after an incident (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). As a person with autism, I expect that the response team is well trained in making me understand that an evacuation is underway, and I need to vacate the premises. They should know not to touch a person with autism if they do not wish to or be placed in a crown where the crowd would make them socially irritable. To ease the situation, it is expected that they let me sit with a person I am familiar with. With all information put into consideration and proper training followed to the later, I expect that responders will handle my case well during the evacuation.
Reference
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2020, September 8). Public Health Emergency. Retrieved October 6, 2020, from https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/abc/Pages/afn-guidance.aspx
