Spotlight on the Deaf-Blind Community
Email this pageHurricane Katrina Remembered
Shortly before Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005, a mother alligator gave birth to 60 babies. Only one baby survived the wrath of the hurricane.
Most natives of Louisiana did not expect the devastation that Hurricane Katrina threw at them because they were used to weathering tropical storms and lesser hurricanes during hurricane season. They never dreamed that Katrina would be so fierce and so destructive. They never dreamed they would lose their homes, their possessions, and some of their friends and family members.
The people of New Orleans and Southern Louisiana were caught unprepared. They fell short on emergency preparedness plans, assistance and services. Many deaf-blind people of New Orleans were caught unaware. Without support service providers (SSPs) to guide them to safety, they suffered the force of Katrina alone.
Some deaf and deaf-blind citizens were left in the dark due to a complete communication shutdown and lack of support. Deaf-blind people had no access to TVs with closed-captioning, pagers, TTYs and other technology and equipment due to lack of power and failure of the transmitter towers to control access.
During the hurricane, a total lack of communication and SSPs left deaf and deaf-blind individuals feeling a sense of shock, betrayal and abandonment. Some walked and stood on the side of Interstate 10 hoping for assistance. Others were not aware that the levees had broken and that the city was flooding quickly. Only when they felt the water rising past their feet and up to their chests within minutes did they realize that their lives were in danger. Many were trapped in their homes. Some slept on top of cabinets and in attics for up to five days, hopelessly knocking on their walls and ceilings and waiting for emergency assistance to arrive while the floods engulfed their homes.
Rescue squads used sonar equipment to locate echoing sounds of those trapped in their homes and attics. When deaf or deaf-blind residents failed to respond to the calls of rescue teams outside, the teams decided to break the residents’ roofs with axes. The residents were then taken to the Louisiana Superdome for medical care, shelter, food and water.
One particular deaf-blind man was rescued from the flood by a deaf pastor and brought to Lafayette to receive medical care. He had suffered a heart attack and was taken to a heart hospital. One of my daughters, along with others, stayed many nights with him at the hospital to provide support. After he was released from the hospital, he moved to a senior citizens housing complex in Columbus, Ohio. Shortly afterwards, he passed away. Another couple, two of my favorite people, a deaf man and his deaf-blind wife, lost their home when it was totally destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. They moved out of state to live with their son and never returned to New Orleans. They also passed away.
My family was one of numerous families who volunteered with the American Red Cross to provide shelter, food, and clothing to displaced families at the Cajundome in Lafayette. As a deaf-blind person myself, I could never imagine experiencing what those deaf-blind victims went through. I was very fortunate to be able to spend time with them, yet saddened to hear their heart-wrenching stories. Several victims, for example, told me that they had lost their homes, their cherished possessions, and some of their friends or family members. I was able to give many of them support and counseling. I also helped deaf-blind persons fill out forms requesting SSP services and assistance in future emergency evacuations.
Several years before this natural disaster, I had made a trip to Washington, D.C. to speak with Louisiana congressmen and senators. I also attended various local and state meetings with local disability committees, Department of Social Services, Department of Health and Hospitals, and Rehabilitation Services to push for SSP services in Louisiana for deaf-blind people.
Once Katrina occurred, I became more assertive in getting deaf-blind citizens the services they deserve. I explained how many deaf-blind residents would be in danger if an emergency like Katrina happened again without their having access to SSPs. I further explained that many deaf-blind residents would be able to evacuate more easily and safely with the assistance of SSPs. For example, SSPs could help guide deaf-blind people by driving them to a safe location or by going with them on buses and trains to evacuate the town or city affected by an emergency.
A few months later, I decided to initiate Louisiana’s first-ever Deaf-Blind rally to speak up about our desperate need for SSPs in Louisiana. As a result of the rally, SSPs are now provided for deaf-blind citizens daily and for future disasters.
By writing this testimony, I hope to share with you the success of finally getting SSP services in Louisiana and the importance of deaf-blind citizens living in a safer and more accessible world. In the future, I hope to see that every state has SSPs available to every deaf-blind citizen to ensure a safe and an enhanced quality of life. After all, SSPs are the light by which we are guided.
Editor’s Note: Dan Arabie is deaf-blind and a resident of Lafayette, Louisiana. He is a member of AADB and is very active in the Louisiana deaf-blind community.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people who experienced the recent hurricanes.
