Jen Andrew:
Welcome to Amplify Together NC, a podcast by Disability Rights North Carolina. I'm your host, Jen Andrew, Communications Coordinator here at DRNC. Each episode, we'll bring you conversations with disability advocates, experts, and everyday people making a difference. Together, we'll dive deep into disability rights, current issues, and the power of community one conversation at a time. Let's get started.
In today's conversation, I talk about disaster recovery, including Helene updates with Curtis Hill, Supervising Advocate for Disability Rights North Carolina. Curtis joined DRNC in 2019 as an advocate for the agency's emergency management and disaster relief efforts, where he assisted people with disabilities affected by Hurricane Florence. In 2020, he expanded his role to focusing on helping North Carolinians with disabilities impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Curtis is committed to DRNC reaching underserved communities across the state. In his spare time, Hill is often seen marshaling collective action on community issues and advocating for local policy changes. We are so fortunate to have his expertise and energy here at DRNC.
Hey, Curtis, good morning. Thank you so much for sitting down with me today to chat. Wondered if we could start by telling folks a little bit about your background and what brings you to your work here at Disability Rights NC.

Curtis Hill:
What brings me to Disability Rights North Carolina, I'm a Hurricane Florence and Matthew survivor down in the eastern part of the state. They were searching for someone to help them do some outreach and some disaster preparedness pieces in eastern North Carolina, and so, I applied for the job and I got it. I'm a person with a disability, I have cerebral palsy. I'm from a small town of Whiteville, North Carolina, where I bring a wealth of information and ideas about rural communities and how to connect with folks across whether you have a disability or not. I just think I'm a people person, and as what they say is, I'm a connector, which is always the most important thing as we're thinking about disasters and those things that are happening in our lives.
At Disability Rights North Carolina, I lead our outreach and our disaster recovery work in the agency. I'm the supervising advocate for that department. It's a wonderful joy. It's always wonderful when you start with someone at the beginning of the disaster pieces and you're able to see them to be fully complete. Then, what we do at DRNC with our disaster program, we try to look at disability rights through the protection advocacy system for the state of North Carolina, and so, in our disaster pieces, what we're looking for is systemic changes to our systems.
How that looks, you might say, "Well, what is systemic changes?" Well, what we're trying to do is trying to figure out what ways our impact or our advocacy can have the greatest impact on the most people. What we're also trying to figure out is, how do we really change systems in our state to make people with disabilities lives easier across the board? How do you do that? What does that look like in disasters? That looks like, for us in disasters, is that we're planning. We're meeting with state partners, trying to figure out plans before disaster hits to make sure we've got the right system in place, to make sure that people with disabilities are able at the table when decisions are made, and to have that insight to some of the challenges that folks with disabilities across our great state might have in accessing the resources that might be present.
That is what we really do all the time. And what they say in the emergency management science world is in blue sky times, so we're always constantly thinking about natural disasters and those things, but also realizing that preparedness is a part of what we have to do and no part of the state of North Carolina is exempt from a natural disaster. That's like a tornado, that's like a wildfire maybe, then it might be a hurricane. As you know, we're really well-versed in the eastern part of the state about hurricanes, but then there's other ways to do it. And then also, thinking about what things that you might need to prepare as a person with a disability, to make sure that you have your individual plans like every other citizen does, and to also make sure that the bigger statewide pieces have our ideas of people with disabilities, because we realize one of the most important things is that we don't want to use a natural disaster as an opportunity to put someone in an institution.
How does that happen? That happens when our systems fail folks and they're like, "That's the easiest way to house someone is to put them in an institution." That's one of the things that we safeguard at our agency, is to make sure that people with disabilities are fully-integrated in society and realizing that the rights that you have outside of a disaster are the same rights you have during a disaster, and to amplify those rights to make sure that you're still counted as a person, and which we believe is individual portions of who we are is the greatest thing.

Jen Andrew:
Thank you. Thank you. That's amazing. Thank you for that background. I know I speak for all of us at Disability Rights North Carolina, that we feel so fortunate to have you leading this work, so thank you. With regard to Hurricane Helene, in your extensive experience, could you talk a little bit about how this hurricane is different, and the impacts that you saw on the ground, and a little bit about what DRNC is doing now?

Curtis Hill:
In every disaster, there always has some unique differences to it. This disaster looks more like a ... I'm used to seeing disasters all the time, whether it's a tornado and those things. Well, this disaster is different than what we have in the eastern part of the state, because of the infrastructure challenges. You might say, "Well, what is infrastructure?" You're talking about the roads and the bridges that are taken out and those things, and because it's in the mountainous area. Because normally, in eastern part of the state, if we have a disaster, it's easier to access it, right? Your systems aren't messed up. Your water supplies might be down for a moment or your telephone services might be down for a little while, but it's not like this for months, that people were without potable water and those things, those various systematic pieces.
That brings with it very different challenges. It's like, how do you put somebody's house back or put someone in a temporary house that can be sustainable in these conditions? How do you get one up the mountain? And those things, to make sure it's able for them to stay in it temporarily. And then also, what does that rebuild look like for folks? It's going to be a little different. Whether it's an opportunity for a buyout or other ways that the state might say, because you might be in a flood zone and then they might be like, "Well, okay. You're not able to rebuild right here right now, so you might have to go to what they call a hazard mitigation that maybe is able to raise your home and mail out you the meal."
But it also might be that even though you've been living on that property for years, that's just not an option that's really afforded to you to rebuild there and the state or the federal funds will support that. This really thinking about, what is my long-term plan for able to rebuild my home? And then, also realizing that sometimes in a disaster, funding sources come later on in it. What it is, is it's very important that you always go to your local insurance agency. You have homeowners insurance available, whatever, and whatever apparel you might have, flood insurance, because we realize that in western part of the state about only 5% of the people even had flood insurance.
Realizing a lot of these repairs are not going to be covered by your regular homeowners policy. The homeowner policy will only cover your wind-driven rain situations that might come in that way, but they typically do not cover flooding that happens in a home. Really thinking about, as you're going forward and as you're planning forward, make sure you covered all your different perils that you might have, like a mudslide and those things. You can get outside insurance to cover that.
FEMA is the backdrop that handles the National Flood Insurance System. They're the ones that actually issue flood insurance for citizens across the state. And that process is that you have to have it before the disaster happens, and you also have to be able to pay that bill, the premium for that, at the beginning with the time that you get the service.
Those are some systemic changes that need to happen. And also, DNRC, we've been waiting, are trying to look at to make sure in the sheltering opportunities that people with disabilities ideas are present and people know, make sure those experiences are as best as possible and that your legal rights are still present, that I can still bring my emotional support animal there and I can also, even in a disaster situation still, my dignity is still there. And so, that's the most important thing, that our human dignity is always present during disaster and that my legal rights are protected.

Jen Andrew:
Thank you. Thank you. I think you talked about preserving dignity. Would you say monitoring in shelters is a way to make sure both the shelter operators and those who are there know what their rights are?

Curtis Hill:
Right. Yeah, that's exactly what that is. That's exactly what it is. And it's not only just monitoring going in, but when we're there, we're trying to connect the person to a resource, because what we realize is sometimes absent from disability rights and our advocacy of our agency, they're advocating on the person, FEMA might be present or some other resources might be present, but the person might have some hindrances to say, well, they're afraid to go talk to them. But then, we go in as their advocate to try to really connect them to the resource, because if a resource is present with you still doesn't mean it's accessible to you. Our job is to remove whatever barriers that you might have to access services in the disaster and post-disaster in your recovery phases.

Jen Andrew:
If someone is in the western part of our state and they still maybe haven't applied for FEMA, is there still time to do that?

Curtis Hill:
It is. It is. That FEMA deadline is February 6, so we want to make sure and encourage everybody to apply for FEMA. That is either a homeowner or a renter. You might say, "Well, why is that important?" It's important because they're able to use that data, as they're going to do the appropriations from the federal government for what North Carolina is going to get as part of this Helene Recovery response, it's going to be allocated based upon the dollars and the folks that were impacted, so we need you to go apply.
And then, we not only apply for FEMA, but also the other services that might be available. For example, say that I lost my job and my job is not there anymore. I can apply for unemployment benefits and those things, that's also important. And then, you can also apply for the Red Cross hash funding out there that's able to help folks, some other non-profits, but it's important that you get in the pipeline.
And also, thinking about if you want a quicker recovery than just waiting on the state or the federal government to get the allocation together about what happens, sometimes it's better to go to get SBA loan, where it's like 0% interest loans that are out there. You have to pay the money back, but it also gives you a better opportunity to recover faster. As we know, especially when you're somebody with disability, you want to recover faster. And so, those loans are very affordable if you're able to do it and those things. They will work that up with you to make sure you're not ... It's very important that you really just think through your recovery process. And then also, think about it too, what happens too.
You have people that come into your communities and say, "Oh, I'm able to fix your home." And then, you got to sign a contract and you need to understand what the contract says, and you should never give anybody, if they're in business, money up front to do your work. It should never be that way. You should always have what they call timelines in your contract that delineates clearly what work should be completed and how much I should pay. That's important.
And then also, you also need to get together with your long-term recovery group in your area. You might say, "What in the world is a long-term recovery group?" A long-term recovery group is there from the beginning of the storm, and then it's able to monitor all the way throughout in your particular county or locality. They have those groups and it's led by people that are survivors and other non-profit agencies that are present, and they're able to help monitor and help connect you to resources that you might need during the disaster in your recovery process. It's a full spectrum of what they're able to do, and they're able to make sure that you've got the right plans, that your plan fits for you, and that they're able to fit the resources you might need.
And then also, FEMA this year has changed some programs for people with disabilities, that they're able to do some home modifications to your home that wasn't typically there before. And so, it's important, at that time, when that FEMA comes to your inspection, that you point out those changes that might need to be done at the inspection level, so they're able to put that in the queue for helping you do your recovery process. And then you might say, you're like, "Well, FEMA gives money." Well, FEMA is not really the agency that does your long-term recovery pieces. FEMA just comes in to help with the immediate aftermath of it. Then, a lot of the programs go to the SBA, the Small Business Administration, they have some disaster funds. If you're in those rural counties of the state, USDA also has some different disaster recovery funds that are for homeowners that you're able to get. There's a really good program to tap into, do some repairs for you.
And then, on the spectrum, you also have the community development block grant, DR funds. Those are the last mile, so that's after everybody else has finished, then that's when they come and say, "Well, okay, they weren't able to recover that way, and then, we're trying to figure out what those long-term things are." Realizing that it's long-term and we definitely do not encourage people to be staying in mold and those kinds of situations for long-terms. We want you to get out those situations early, because we know the long-term implications of those can have drastic impacts on people's lives going forward. We want to make sure that you're connected to those programs and crisis cleanup and those things, where people are able to monitor the cleanup pieces to make sure your home has got a tarp.
And also realizing, that if I just put some Clorox on some mold, that's not black mold, that's not going to solve my problem. That's just changing the coloration of it. In order to really think about that, you're going to have to have it all the way back to the stud. That means you got to tear out all the way back to that stud in order really to remediate the situation. That's where people have to think about it. It's no quick fix and it's very expensive, but DRNC is with folks as they're going through that process, and also making the changes, and we're talking to places like Legal Aid and the other PISCA Legal and all those other agencies, we're all at the table advocating for people with disabilities that we see and working with coalition about how do we make sure that recovery is a lot smoother every time it happens.
Even though it's regrettable that we're here, but we're here and we're going to be staying strong together as a state to make sure that Western North Carolina has the resources that it needs to fully recover, and realizing that recovery takes a long time. I was talking to a friend of mine that had seen many emergency management situations. We were sitting there talking about what this looks like and it reminds us of Katrina. If we really think about Western North Carolina, the impact of it was Katrina devastation across the area. That really tells us, and they're still recovering from Katrina in Louisiana right now.
That tells you how long the process has to be or it's going to be, but we think at least if we're able to smooth some of those bumps and hurdles out of it, the individuals can be whole and complete. Think about it too. It's always a good time for towns to reimagine how it looks during these times. We want to make sure people with disabilities imaginations are present as well, that they're with it, that they have the resources they need that as you're thinking about rebuilding them, rebuilding your community, that you can look and say, "Well, we've got a park here and we've got some green space here," and it's accessible for everybody with a disability that wants to use it. My motto is that, if it's accessible for one person, for a person with a disability, it's accessible for everyone. That's how we want to make sure as we're thinking about Western North Carolina in its entirety, that it's really a place that we can grow together, live together, and have fun together.

Jen Andrew:
Thanks, Curtis. Yeah, I appreciate that. It feels like you're speaking to Universal Design to making things accessible for everyone. Would you have any recommendations for folks who want to make sure their voices are heard? Would you say maybe contacting their local community government? Is that a good place to get plugged in? I know there are lots of mutual aid groups too working out there.

Curtis Hill:
I would tell you, the best place to get plugged in if you really want to recover is your long-term recovery group. Each county will have a long-term recovery group present. They're establishing it. That's where you want to get plugged in to all the resources and those things, and you would contact your county emergency management and they should be able to direct you to where to go. If you've gotten some needs that you need that are being unmet, you need to contact those agencies as well and they can help you navigate the situation. And if you're a person with a disability and have a disability specific issue that's coming from Hurricane Helene or Tropical Storm Helene, you can also reach out to Disability Rights North Carolina and we'll try to direct you. We will direct you in the right direction.
It is really trying to get the information in a way that you're able to understand it, because sometimes the processes are daunting, you're not able to understand it. We're able to try to explain it to you in a way that you're able to understand and make the right decision, because we believe at Disability Rights North Carolina that we do not make decisions for people. We give you the information and that you are empowered and we believe that you'll make the right decision for your situation, because we believe in self-empowerment, that people with disabilities, regardless of your disability, you have a right to make your decisions. We believe in the independence of folks with disabilities, and so I think that's a critical, but we believe that if you have the right information, you will make the right decision.

Jen Andrew:
Thank you. As we're talking, it seems like there are some distinct phases to recovery. It seems like maybe western North Carolina is moving into kind of that middle phase, where some of the immediate needs have been met, but now, they're working on long-term-

Curtis Hill:
Recovery?

Jen Andrew:
... recovery. What advice might you have for our friends in California who are still in that emergency situation? What could folks do right now? I know many people have evacuated and are probably trying to get in touch with FEMA. Of course, the disaster is not over yet, it's ongoing. Do you have any advice for folks with disabilities in that situation or any upcoming situations that might emerge?

Curtis Hill:
The first thing I would tell people, even if you're in immediate situation is, that you want to connect to as many resources as possible during a disaster. You don't want to say, "I don't want to contact anybody, and I want to keep a handle it myself." What you really have to think about is, what community am I leaning on? The first thing you want to do is, when a disaster is declared, is you want contact your FEMA. Once FEMA is able to come in, because they have dollars and those things for some immediate situations that are going along, and they also have housing. But you also want to connect to the Red Cross, because they have some really good programs that they're able to help folks with. Those are my two go-to things you want to do.
But before the disaster happens, we want to make sure that you're properly prepared for a disaster. You might say, "Well, what does that look like?" That means that we want to make sure that you have pictures of everything in your home. You might say, "Why would I want to have a picture of everything in my home?" Because if something happens and is devastated, I've at least got proof of what was there. I've got my model numbers and all those things, so I'm able to substantiate the loss that happened to me, and that helps me along with my recovery pieces.
Then also, you want to keep your important documents together in a document protector or something of that nature of your wheels, birth certificates, marriage certificates, your deeds, all those very important things, insurance policies. You need to understand before the disaster what I'm insured for. And then, you also want to make sure that you have some insurance. That's very critical, because if you have insurance, it really helps out the recovery process. But if you don't, then you're leaning on nonprofit agencies and federal government to help you recover. We're really trying to encourage people to make sure that you have the right amount of insurance and those things.
I understand, if you're person with a disability, it's very difficult to put those in your budget, but we believe that it's ways in which you're able to put that money aside in your budget for your emergency funds and those things just like anybody else. Realize too that the state, wherever you are, doesn't have the resources to prepare for every single situation that happens in your life. And so, that means while we all have individual responsibility to have our own preparation plans, our recovery plans together, and the state will supplement, but we should be able to handle ourselves for three to four days or something like that, five to seven days of a natural disaster like a flood or something like that.
We also want to make sure that wherever the disasters, that you listen to your local folks. When local people say that you don't need to come in, there's a reason why they're telling you not to come in. And we understand how anxious we might be and those things. But trust me, the local people that are on the ground, there are reasons why they're making those decisions. They don't need people being lone rangers and saying they're going to do X, Y, and Z. We really want to listen to those folks who are in best position to advocate for us and to have our best interest in part and realizing they're not just looking at your particular home, they're looking at the entirety of the situation, and their ideas and the way they're seeing things is for it to be safety is the most important, and to make sure they're able to get resources to and fro that they need to assist in the disaster.
Whether it's a wildfire, because we've had wildfires in North Carolina, not to the devastation that they've had out western part in California, but realizing too that we know that these natural disasters are going to be happening more in our communities, that's why preparedness and having a real plan, and for people with disabilities, it's really having a network of folks to help and assist.
I was reading an article, it was on the news, it was talking about a family who was a disabled, had a disability, a father and a son, and how tragically they weren't able to get out. But that means that we've got to really listen and make sure we've got the supports we need to move folks at the first sign of things. And I'm sure the after action reports are going to say some things that they could have done better as a government, as well as individuals. But we've always got to think about how do we try to keep people alive during these situations and realize that the same rights that I have in blue sky times, when great times are the same rights I have during a disaster, and to really make sure that those things, that I can bring my support animal and those things to the shelter and those pieces.
It's very critical that we understand that those rights are still there and we're amplifying and also realizing that once things don't go the way we need to, we can also have some advocacy arms if you reach out to us and those things. We're able to advocate sometimes immediately, but sometimes after the fact, to really change the systems of what happened. You might say, "Well, how did you get here?" "I got here because of Hurricane Florence," and they did an after action report that talked about some situations out of Florence, and we believe that from that disaster, we were able to change systems in the state of North Carolina.
In fact, we know that we had, and we still got some changes to still make with this one, but we believe that we're on it. If we're working towards it every day, we'll make people's lives a whole lot better. Think about it, these are very traumatic situations that happen to us. Our lives are uprooted. We also are suggesting that folks go get the mental health services and the spiritual support services that you might need to help you walk through these situations, because when you go look at your home is not like it used to be, and all your friends are not there and the whole community has changed, you got to think about I might need some help from someone else, a professional person that's able to walk me through these very difficult days.

Jen Andrew:
Yeah, thank you. That's very true, and it makes me think for those of us who want to help, a simple thing you can do is make sure you know your neighbors. You've probably got disabled folks in your neighborhood and making sure that if an evacuation happens, do you know how they'll get out? Can you help them? Those are really simple things I think we all can do, and sometimes it gets lost in our culture, the responsibilities we all have to our neighbors.

Curtis Hill:
It's all about a neighbor taking care of a neighbor. If you're really connected and in order for people with disabilities to live in community, it's a neighborhood that keeps us there. Absence of the neighborhood and the support systems, none of us could, and any of us, even people that are able-bodied people are not able to live independently without help from other folks. It's really trusting those folks and making sure you've got the right network of folks. Often, people with disabilities, we lean on a person, but if you're thinking about it, you really have to lean on more than one person, because that person might not be working that day or might be out of the home that day, so you got to have a network that's able to take care of you during a disaster. Building those relationships with folks we think are critical that you know who is in your neighborhood who needs some assistance better than your state or county government.

Jen Andrew:
Definitely.

Curtis Hill:
You've got to really be able to identify, because you might say, "Well, we've got registries and those things." But people with disabilities move and move just like everybody else. And so, making sure that it is updated and that people know, it just gives them an idea of who's there. But really, each one of us has a personal responsibility for an effective plan and realizing does that plan work for me? I'm a person that walks with, I have cerebral palsy, so I work with forearm crutches, so for me, I've got to make sure I've got my forearm crutches, I've got my medications and those things that I might need and all those things in my recovery plan, in my disaster plan, in my disaster readiness plan. I've got to have those pieces there. If I don't have them there, if something happens, I'm in trouble, right/.

Jen Andrew:
Right.

Curtis Hill:
Just like everybody else, just like you, Jen, you have to have your stuff together and I've got to have mine together. It lets us know that we all have a responsibility, and if I don't, to me, that's responsible. The state can help, but I'm responsible for my own personal plan. That's what we've got to be, I'm responsible. But we believe that if we're all working together and thinking about this and thinking through this, the deep part of it, whether I've got, if I'm deaf, hard of hearing and blind, that I've got the resources that I need to navigate it and the support system. It's not just about whether I got a physical disability or something that I can see, or for example, say I might have some mental challenges and those things to make sure I've got the resources that I need to be successful. That's what we're thinking about, to make sure that you're going to be able to live the next day. That's the most important thing.

Jen Andrew:
Absolutely. Yeah, and to your point, my go bag, my kit for disasters has sensory mitigation. I have my headphones and a mask and all of those things that I, as an autistic person, would need if I had to stay in a shelter for a while, so yeah, I appreciate you touching on that. As we close out, I would love to hear, I know people are watching what's happening in LA and around the area and have seen the devastation in western North Carolina. If folks still feel called to help, either in an emerging disaster or one that's kind of more in middle phases, do you have recommendations for things that they could do that would be the most helpful? I know in western North Carolina, people just had huge hearts and really wanted to help, and there was an influx of stuff, which is hard for folks who are living in some kind of temporary situation. The intention was wonderful, but it does seem like maybe some specific things might be needed.

Curtis Hill:
Each disaster is specific, but one thing that we're able to really realize that if we give the money to agencies or to the nonprofits, that they're able to really get the money to folks' hands, because if I'm without a job infrastructure, I don't care how much things that you buy me, like cash is keen for me. Cash is really what helps me do what I need to do. The rental situations and those things, the cash funds really help. If you're able to give a gift card or you're able to give those things, people are able to select what they need.
At the immediate things, typically, there's a lot of stuff there. I've been on the ground in western North Carolina and seen all the coats and those things. When you find a specific need and they say they need those things, it's good to give to those things. But so often, you know how we do when we're given. We go get that coat that we didn't like for 20 years or so, and we bring that there, and then you got to have the infrastructure to be able to sort through that stuff. That's the other piece that really people don't understand.
You would always listen, because sometimes they say, "Hill, it's exactly what they need at the particular time," and then, the Red Cross tells exactly what they need at a particular time. Catholic Charities, agencies that are doing the work, they know exactly what people need. But if you're so inclined, you can always give, donations is always the great thing to do. Financial contributions are great in disasters, even though we love to give things that we think are important, but a lot of times it's other systems that are providing those things and they're able to transport it their better way and those things. Really, just trying to figure out what does the community need and listen to them.

Jen Andrew:
Excellent. Yes, thank you. I really appreciate you talking with me today, and as we close out, just want to remind folks, listen to disabled people, listen to your community, prepare, and stay tuned. Thanks so much, Curtis.

Curtis Hill:
Thank you, Jen, for the opportunity to talk about the great work that we're doing in North Carolina, because we're trying to hit people's ... we're really trying to remove barriers for folks and really trying to get folks with disabilities, the information that they need, the language that they're able to understand, so they can recover just as fast as anyone else. That's our goal, is to make sure that you're prepared, you have a plan, and that you're able to execute it at the time that's needed to be executed. Thank you again for this opportunity to share the work and also be stay tuned to your local emergency management people and your community to make sure those resources are coming to you. Also, come back to DR&C's website. We try to keep it updated with some great resources all the time, whether it's winter preparedness or the snowstorms and those things, we have those resources there too. We want you to be prepared 365 days a year, so thank you again for this opportunity.

Jen Andrew:
Thanks, Curtis. That's it for today's episode of Amplify Together NC. Thank you so much for joining us. If you enjoyed today's conversation, be sure to subscribe, leave a review and share. You can find us on Instagram, Facebook, Blue Sky, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Let's keep the discussion going. Until next time, stay strong, stay connected, and keep advocating.