Guest Author - Jessica Steinmetz

People with disabilities who couldn't evacuate had a terrible time with hurricane Katrina.

Listening to the stories that are coming out from Hurricane Katrina are heartbreaking. Many people with disabilities didn't survive the hurricane, but for those who did, they are amazing. One woman was alone in her wheelchair. Flood waters rose to her chin. She prayed to live, and she did.

Stories like this is not uncommon. These people need medical and personal care as soon as possible. Some people in wheelchairs who were at the Superdome couldn't get out of their wheelchairs all week, not even to use the bathroom.

From a special disability newsletter gave permission to distribute:

Special triage telephone lines are being established in each region to accept the calls of citizens seeking special needs sheltering. Citizens with special needs seeking shelter must call telephone number in their area BEFORE attempting to access a shelter. These numbers are listed below.



Alexandria: 800-841-5778
Shreveport: 800-841-5776

Baton Rouge: 800-349-1372
Monroe: 866-280-7287

Houma/Thibodaux: 800-228-9409
Slidell/Hammond: 866-280-7724

Lafayette: 800-901-3210

Lake Charles: 866-280-2711


Special Needs Shelters are not designed for the general public or for nursing home patients. Nursing homes in Louisiana are required to have emergency evacuation plans in place that ensure the health and safety of their residents. In most instances, these plans allow for homes in affected areas to transport their patients to nursing homes in areas safe from the storm.


Health officials note that if individuals have health problems that require medical expertise and must evacuate, it is best for them to go with family members or caretakers north and west to areas that are out of harms way. These will provide medical support services only. Because of limited staffing, those going to a Special Needs Shelter must have a caretaker to assist with ongoing support and they should bring all necessary supplies including sheets, blankets and pillows.

Community And Residential Services Association (CARSA), a trade organization for providers of services with developmental disabilities, in cooperation with the ARC of Louisiana, the Developmental Disabilities Council and The Advocacy Center, is available to assist families who may have relatives who were evacuated from community homes and other service programs in the Greater New Orleans area.

Families seeking information may call the following numbers for assistance:

CARSA 225-343-8811


The ARC of Louisiana 1-866-966-6261

Developmental Disabilities Council 1-800-450-8108

The Advocacy Center (Baton Rouge) 1-800-711-1696

The Advocacy Center (Lafayette) 1-800-822-0210


How can we help?
Sending money is needed. Sending supplies to those centers is
helpful too but NOT RIGHT NOW, because they can't get through the water.

Here are the suggested options for right now:

1) Send a check or credit card payment to the Red Cross and designate it
for Hurricane Relief, or designate it for people with disabilities in the
Biloxi/Hattiesburg or New Orleans areas.

2) If you want to send money for the CILs that are dealing with this
disaster directly, here are your options:

For the Biloxi Center, mail the check (payable to LIFE of Central MS and
designated for the Biloxi Center) to:

LIFE of Central Mississippi
754 North President Street, Suite 1
Jackson, MS 39202

For the centers in Louisiana (make checks payable to Resources for
Independent Living - this is a branch of the N.O. center - and designate
for the New Orleans center)and mail to:

Resources for IL
11931 Industriplex Blvd. Suite 200
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

We have also learned from Mack Marsh of the Shreveport Center that
centers in Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and Lake Charles are assisting
evacuees. Mack says they would also appreciate supplies if there is any
way to get those supplies to the centers. His list includes: manual
wheelchairs, hospital beds, adult diapers, bed pads, catheters and other
supplies. The address for the Baton Rouge center is shown above,
addresses for the Shreveport and Lake Charles centers follow.

Southwest LA Independence Center, Inc.
Mitch Granger
1202 Kirkman, Suite C
Lake Charles, LA 70601

New Horizons, Inc.
Jerry Kidwell
9300 Mansfield Road, Suite 204
Shreveport, LA 71118

Please think about people with disabilities when you're donating. They need our help!