A planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will organize a series of three virtual public workshops exploring issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic and disaster preparedness for special populations (e.g. individuals living with disabilities; older adults; individuals from communities of color; immigrants). The first workshop will focus on disaster planning and response activities that meet the needs of the whole community, or understanding where the gaps are so they can be corrected. The second workshop will focus on home health workers, the caregivers who provide health care services to individuals living with disabilities and older adults in their homes. The third workshop will consider the special needs of individuals living with disabilities and older adults, and whether current efforts to include these populations in disaster planning and response activities are sufficient.
The planning committee will organize the workshops, select and invite outside speakers and discussants, and moderate discussions. A brief proceedings of the presentations and discussions from the workshop series will be prepared following the final workshop by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.