(Washington, DC) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is greatly expanding the number of persons who will be able to use DDOT’s Transportation Tips During an Emergency Incident. The brochure is being printed in five languages, English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, and in audio format, Braille and large print. These versions will help readers understand what to do during an emergency, including a large-scale evacuation.
Dan Tangherlini, Director of DDOT, applauded the outreach effort: "Everyone in the District should feel safe and informed irrespective of their native language. This is one step to improve communication with everybody who uses the District's transportation system."
The English- and Spanish-language brochures will be distributed this weekend. The English version will be available to District home subscribers in Sunday's Washington Post (in the DDOT-specific wrap bag). The brochure also will be distributed by mail and made available at DC Public Library branches and selected newsstands and vending sites. The Spanish version will be distributed in the regional issue of El Tiempo Latino.
Copies in Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese are being distributed in the Asian American community including at the Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs and at Mayor Williams' Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration today.
For persons with limited vision and who are physically disabled, the audio, Braille and large print editions are being disseminated through the Mayor's Committee on Persons with Disabilities, the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (in the DC Public Library) and other appropriate avenues.
The six-page pamphlet features an explanation of the evacuation routes, including a map and pictures of the street signs directing motorists to Virginia and Maryland, a directory of websites and phone numbers, information on radio broadcasts via both Highway Advisory Radio and the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and a list of bike trails that can be used by cyclists or pedestrians.