The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has received praise and scorn for its responses to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Regardless of FEMA's performance, many might be surprised to learn that Goal 1 of FEMA's 2022-2026 Strategic Plan is to "Instill Equity as a Foundation of Emergency Management."
FEMA's equity agenda begins with ensuring that all Americans can access the agency's resources. Objective 1.2 of the December 2021 plan aims to "remove barriers to FEMA programs," acknowledging that some people have difficulty understanding the agency's programs "due to language accessibility, literacy, technical expertise, or disability challenges."
