Disability Inclusive Emergency Management (DIEM) Toolkit webinar
Date
Cost
This event is co-hosted in partnership with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the University of Sydney.
Commissioned by NEMA, the DIEM Toolkit was developed through a collaboration between NEMA, the Department of Social Services and the University of Sydney, with guidance from a national expert advisory panel including peak bodies and lived experience advocates. It addresses the heightened risks faced by people with disability during emergencies by promoting more consistent and effective disability-inclusive disaster planning.
The toolkit offers practical strategies for governments and emergency services to meet inclusive emergency management requirements under Australia's Disability Strategy (ADS) 2021-31, emphasising partnership with people with disability and their support services.
It also supports the undertaking of recommendation 5.4 of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission) to review national agreements, strategies and plans that affect people with disability, including those for pandemics and natural hazard disasters.
This toolkit, along with the ongoing development of disability-inclusive emergency management, will help track Australia's progress in reducing disaster risks for individuals with disability. This aligns with international commitments such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Key features of the Toolkit include:
- Clearly defined DIEM principles and practices
- Disability inclusive maturity indicators and Practical Action Guides
- A tool for service organisations to self-asses their Organisational Emergency Preparedness
- List of disability inclusive resources
A nationwide rollout of the DIEM Toolkit is currently underway.
Come to this webinar to learn:
- How the toolkit was developed
- How the toolkit is being implemented
- How you can get involved
- How you can access free eLearning
Presenters:
Sally Kuschel
Assistant Coordinator General, Strategy and Resilience Policy, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)
Sally joined NEMA in January 2024 as Assistant Coordinator General, Strategy and Resilience Policy.
Sally has been involved with disaster and climate resilience policy since 2016 at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, former Emergency Management Australia, and the first National Resilience Taskforce. Sally led the team that developed the National Disaster Risk Reduction Framework, Australia’s national policy for reducing disaster risk which was endorsed by all jurisdictions in 2020.
Sally has worked in the Australian Public Service for two decades on a range of law and justice policy issues, and before that as a commercial lawyer. Prior to joining NEMA, Sally assisted developing the Australian Government’s Response to the Robodebt Royal Commission.
Sally values working collaboratively to get the best outcomes and appreciates the opportunity NEMA has to work with diverse stakeholders to help reduce harm and suffering for Australian communities.
Associate Professor Michelle Villeneuve
Deputy Director, University of Sydney Impact Centre for Disability Research and Policy
Michelle leads the Collaborating4Inclusion research program that advanced the Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) and nurtured its uptake into policy and practice across Australia.
Michelle is recognised internationally for her research on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DIDRR) that brings together health, community, disability, and emergency services sectors to establish cross-sector policy and practice on person-centred approaches to inclusive emergency planning. Her research informs both conceptual and practical dimensions of interprofessional collaboration and resource utilisation. She brings to this research over 20 years of experience working in regions of conflict and natural hazard disaster to develop community-led programs and services and re-build opportunities for people with disability.
Her partnership research and contributions to DIDRR in Australia have been recognised through numerous awards, including the 2023 National Resilient Australia Award for the P-CEP Certificate course.