American Sign Language Interpreters Are Available in Disaster Recovery Centers

WINDSOR, Conn. – The Disaster Recovery Centers in Connecticut are equipped to make sure that people with disabilities get the information they need for their recovery from Hurricane Sandy.

In addition to being fully accessible and ready to help people with vision, mobility or hearing disabilities, each center has sign interpreters available for deaf people who use ASL. The schedule for the interpreters is:

Bridgeport: Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Greenwich: Monday, Nov. 12, from 9 a.m. to noon

Groton: Monday, Nov. 12, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

New Haven: Monday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 1:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Old Saybrook: Monday, Nov. 12, from noon to 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 13, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If a person who is deaf visits a Disaster Recovery Center when no interpreter is available, arrangements can be made to meet their needs. 

“Disasters strike where they will and affect everyone in their path,” said Federal Coordinating Officer Albert Lewis. “We are committed to making disaster assistance accessible to everyone in the community.”

Disaster Recovery Centers offer one-on-one assistance, and information about recovery resources, low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration, flood insurance and mitigation measures.

Online registration is available anytime at www.DisasterAssistance.gov. If you have a web-enabled device, enter m.fema.gov in the web browser. You can also register by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362. If you use a TTY, call 800-462-7585; or use 711 or Video Relay Service to call 800-621-3362. Multilingual operators are available.

Note to editors: The recommended font type is sans serif 12 point for regular print and sans serif 18 point when specifically printed for people with vision impairments.

Disaster recovery assistance is available without regard to race, color, religion, nationality, sex, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. If you or someone you know has been discriminated against, call FEMA toll-free at 800-621-FEMA (3362). For TTY call 800-462-7585.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is the federal government’s primary source of money for the long-term rebuilding of disaster-damaged private property. SBA helps homeowners, renters, businesses of all sizes, and private nonprofit organizations fund repairs or rebuilding efforts and covers the cost of replacing lost or disaster-damaged personal property. These disaster loans cover losses not fully compensated by insurance or other recoveries and do not duplicate benefits of other agencies or organizations.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.