Emergency Preparedness

OCR Civil Rights Resources for COVID-19

  • Civil Rights and COVID-19
  • Title VI: Language Access During the COVID-19 Pandemic & Other Health Emergencies: Training for Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance (Department of Homeland Security, HHS Office for Civil Rights, and FEMA) - January 25 and February 2, 2023 - View the training

Other Emergency Preparedness Resources

FAQs on Patient Visitation at Certain Federally Funded Entities and Facilities

The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a Dear Colleague Letter to covered entities concerning new guidance OCR issued to the public in the form of Frequently Asked Questions to ensure that patients, residents, families, and caregivers are aware of their rights regarding patient visitation, as well as their rights under other federal civil rights laws enforced by OCR that could apply to visitation. OCR and the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) share jurisdiction over certain nondiscrimination regulations regarding patient or resident visitation at hospitals, critical access hospitals, and long-term care facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid. These regulations bar discrimination in visitation policies on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or disability. OCR enforces the prohibition on religious discrimination in these regulations, and CMS enforces these regulations as they relate to other bases of discrimination. OCR received numerous complaints and questions during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic regarding an individual’s right to receive visitors free from discrimination on the basis of religion. These FAQs are meant to ensure that facilities covered by CMS’s regulations and health care entities covered by OCR’s civil rights authorities are aware of their obligations and are better able to serve people, including during any future public health emergency.

HHS Checklist Helps First Responders Ensure Language Access and Effective Communication During Emergencies

Recent natural disasters have demonstrated the importance of ensuring accessibility to health and human services for everyone living in the United States, including individuals who are limited English proficient or with disabilities in need of interpretation and translation services. HHS' Office for Civil Rights led efforts by the HHS Language Access Steering Committee to develop a plain language checklist | En Español* to help first responders provide services to individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals with disabilities during emergency response and recovery efforts, in accordance with federal civil rights laws. The checklist includes recommendations, specific action steps, and resources to assist first responders in providing on-the-ground language assistance and communicating effectively in disasters. Practical tips range from how to identify language needs in a disaster-impacted community to effectively utilizing interpreters. Visit the HHS Language Access webpage at www.hhs.gov/languageaccess for additional information and resources.

* People using assistive technology may not be able to fully access information in these files. For assistance, contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights at (800) 368-1019, TDD toll-free: (800) 537-7697, or by emailing OCRMail@hhs.gov.

OCR Identifies Practices and Resources for Emergency Responders/Officials to Help Ensure Individuals Have Equal Access to Emergency Services

Following the Puerto Rico earthquakes, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and its federal partners remain in close coordination to help ensure that emergency officials effectively address the needs of at-risk populations during disaster response. To this end, emergency responders and officials should consider adopting, as circumstances and resources allow, the following practices to help make sure all segments of the community are served:

  • Employing qualified interpreter services to assist individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing during evacuation, response and recovery activities
  • Making emergency messaging available in languages prevalent in the area and in multiple formats, such as audio, large print, and captioning and ensuring that websites providing disaster-related information are accessible
  • Making use of multiple outlets and resources for messaging to reach individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited English proficiency, and members of diverse faith communities
  • Considering the needs of individuals with mobility impairments and individuals with assistive devices or durable medical equipment in providing transportation for evacuation
  • Identifying and publicizing accessible sheltering facilities that include accessible features, such as bathing, toileting, and eating facilities and bedding
  • Avoiding separating people from their sources of support, such as service animals, durable medical equipment, caregivers, medication and supplies
  • Placing persons with disabilities in integrated shelters to the extent possible; and
  • Stocking shelters with items that will help people to maintain independence, such as hearing aid batteries, canes, and walkers

Being mindful of all segments of the community and taking reasonable steps to provide an equal opportunity to benefit from emergency response efforts will help ensure that responsible officials are in compliance with Federal civil rights laws and that the disaster management in the areas affected by the Puerto Rico earthquakes is successful.

HIPAA Emergency Preparedness, Planning, and Response

For access guidance about sharing patient information under the Privacy Rule in emergency situations, such as to assist patients in receiving the care they need, as well as to assist in disaster relief, public health, and law enforcement efforts.

DHS Statement on Safety and Enforcement During Hurricane Dorian

Release Date: August 30, 2019

En español | Other translations

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the following statement on safety and enforcement during Hurricane Dorian:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are concerned about the potential impact of Hurricane Dorian to portions of Florida. Our highest priority remains the preservation of life and safety. In consideration of these circumstances, there will be no immigration enforcement initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering related to the storm, except in the event of a serious public safety threat.

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2019/08/30/dhs-statement-safety-and-enforcement-during-hurricane-dorian

Rumor: Sharing Application Information, Immigration Enforcement

FEMA will not proactively provide information gathered through these applications with ICE or CBP for immigration enforcement purposes; however, if a significant law enforcement interest exists (e.g. a national security case) for an individual whose information is contained therein, FEMA may share information with our law enforcement partners, within DHS per their request, in accordance with the intra-agency need to know exception to the general disclosure prohibition of the Privacy Act of 1974.

Rumor: Service Animals in Shelters

There are rumors that persons with disabilities are not permitted to bring their service animals to shelters serving disaster survivors. This is FALSE.

The American Red Cross, along with other state, local, and nongovernmental organizations, operate most shelters serving disaster survivors. Under civil rights law, these shelter providers are required to allow an individual with a disability to be accompanied by their service animal within the shelter. A service animal is not a pet and is therefore not subject to restrictions applied to pets or other animals (Rumor: Pets in Hotels (Transitional Sheltering Assistance) and in Spanish, Rumor: Animales de Servicio en Refugios). For more information about service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act, see Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA and ADA Requirements: Service Animals.

Anyone with a service animal who has been turned away from a disaster shelter can contact the DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) at CRCL@dhs.gov, or the Department of Justice's Disability Rights Section at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 800- 514- 0383 (TTY), or the HHS Office for Civil Rights at https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights

Federal Agencies Issue Joint Guidance to Help Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Providers Comply with Title VI – August 16, 2016

HHS, Justice, HUD, DHS and DOT issued joint guidance to help ensure that recipients of federal financial assistance do not discriminate against individuals and communities on the basis of race, color or national origin when providing emergency preparedness, response and recovery services.

Read the Guidance

  • En Español (Spanish) – (PDF)
  • Trong Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) - (PDF)
  • Nan Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole) – (PDF)

Download the HHS Checklist for Recipients of Federal Financial Assistance | En Español

For additional resources, visit the civil rights section of the FEMA website at: www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/26070.

HHS Office for Preparedness & Response

Civil Rights & Emergency Preparedness

HIPAA & Emergency Preparedness

  • Learn how the HIPAA Privacy Rule applies to the release of protected health information for planning or response

Administration for Community Living

SAMHSA

FEMA

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