Emergency Preparedness

This guide addresses the emergency procedure needs of people with a disability. It provides evacuation tips and general information for those who have five categories of disabilities, including impairments in mobility, vision, hearing, speech, and cognition. It also includes a Personal Emergency Evacuation Planning Checklist that building services managers, families, and people with disabilities can use together to design a personalized evacuation plan.

This guide explains why the older adult population can be more vulnerable during a disaster. It provides tips for family disaster planning, identifies common disaster reactions and coping tips for older adults, and includes links to additional resources.

Review guides that help people be prepared for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. There are separate guides for service providers, case managers, and people with disabilities. Each of the guides covers the steps of: 1) Being prepared for emergencies; 2) Responding at the time of an emergency, and; 3) Recovering after an emergency.

IPAWS is a modernization and integration of the nation’s alert and warning infrastructure. This paper serves to demonstrate how IPAWS addresses the challenges of reaching the whole community, including the 25% of our population who might need assistance. It offers evidence that while IPAWS doesn't solve all of the challenges, it can certainly mitigate them, particularly with greater stakeholder engagement and public awareness. Emerging technologies that could improve accessibility are reviewed.

Initiated following the Gulf Coast Hurricane disasters in 2005, the self assessment tool is designed to assist state developmental disabilities officials evaluate the extent to which their existing preparedness plans address the unique characteristics and needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities during periods of emergency or disaster.

This is a presentation hosted by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities and their TA providers, BETAH Associates, which includes a discussion of emergency preparedness, with a focus on individuals with disabilities. The presentation was given by Patricia A. Morrissey, Commissioner of the federal Administration on Developmental Disabilities. The last few slides contain a list of additional resources.

This unique web-based tool provides an accessible, interactive clearinghouse directory of regional, state, and local disability-related emergency management resources. As a service to first responders, emergency managers and people with disabilities, N.O.D.'s Emergency Preparedness Initative (EPI) is providing regional, state, and local disability-related emergency management resources. Click on the map to view a list of links to disability & emergency preparedness resources in your area.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the unique needs of people with disabilities must be surveyed and responded to. If you’re seeking help, review our collection of resources, initiatives and written material about available assistance and supports.