Individual Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities,
Their Families and Support Networks

Emergency preparedness for people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs must integrate the users’ economic, physical, social and communication realities!

The challenge is to integrate and weave preparedness activities into your  typical activities daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, yearly so they are not considered extra, ‘in addition to’, or “special projects,  but just a normal, standard & regular part of  life as usual. 

June Isaacson Kailes, Disability Policy Consultant

• Guides
• Evacuation
• From Buildings
• Transportation
  
• Hazard Specific
• Earthquakes
• Fire
• Lessons Documented
• Specific Functional Need Focus
• Allergies
• Chemical Sensitivities
• Deaf
• DeafBlind
• Developmental Disabilities
• Hard of Hearing
• Personal Assistance Users
  
• Power Needs
  
• Service  Animals
• Speech
• Forms, Checklists, Tools, Sample, etc.
• Grab & Go List
• Health Information
• Neighbor Contact List 
• Out-of-town Emergency Contacts 
• Supply Kits
• Disability-Specific Supplies for Emergency Kits
• Support Teams
• Videos
• General Preparedness Information

Note to reader,

These resources are selected based on an informal analysis of:

• Usefulness - depth and clarity of subject content
• Use of plain, specific, easy to follow and understandable language
• Materials with (**) are  produced “of, by and with” (versus only "for" and "about") people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs
• Videos that include captioning, and when available on screen sign language interpreters and audio description

Guides

• Getting information
• Creating a plan
• Preparing a kit
  

• Podcast (6.5 mb)
• Transcript
• Accompanying checklist

• Know why preparing is key
• conduct an ability self-assessment
• establish a support team
• create emergency plans
• collect disability-specific supplies for emergency kits / go kits and check lists
• make an out-of-state contact list (includes form)

Emergency Travel Safety Tips for Overnight Stays, Edition 1 – October 2017 - Tips for everyone. Items with a [*] are specifically for people with disabilities who because of a variety of disabilities (mobility, breathing, allergies, hearing, seeing, walking, understanding or chronic conditions) may have difficulty or be unable to: use stairwells, hear alarms, see or read exit signs and understand instructions. Safety tips include: check-in, personal support, in your guest room, other safety tips and more resources.

Feeling Safe, Being Safe – Webcasts, videos and materials developed with, for and by people with disabilities. Easy-to-use tools that employ a simple learning method, Think-Plan-Do. Uses plan language and accessible formats to ensure use by a broad rand of individuals who may have limitations in reading, understanding, learning, and remembering, Training is available through webcast individual training as well as group training. **  Last accessed 05.21.11

Disaster Preparedness Tips for PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES,  ** [English and Spanish]  by June Kailes - Although these "Tip Sheets" focus on earthquake safety, they are  useful for all types of disaster preparedness: power outages, fires, floods, hurricanes, nuclear power plant accidents, tornados, tsunamis, volcanoes, winter storms and very cold or very hot weather. last accessed 01.29.10

Prepare in a Year – one hour a month helps you be ready for disasters whenever they occur. from the Emergency Management Division, State of Washington, last accessed 09.4.12

Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities – (2004) from FEMA, available in Spanish Formats: PDF, TXT,  last accessed 09.4.12

Preparing Makes Sense for People with Disabilities and Other Access and Functional Needs – Video (2013) Captioned and signed, contains information specific to people with disabilities and others access and functional needs regarding emergency preparedness.

Psychological Preparedness for Stressful Events - from the Virginia, last accessed 01.3.12

Tips for Emergency Use of Mobile Devices - Edition 2, (2015) Cell phones, smart phones and other mobile wireless devices like tablets are a big part of our lives. We rarely leave home without them and we often store important information on them. In a small or large emergency they can be a communication life line. Provides details regarding preparing your device to quickly get and give emergency information which includes a checklist, emergency contacts and documents, alerts, texting, apps, bookmarks of important mobile sites, “no service” backup plans, skill drills and other resources. Last accessed 04.29.15

• Food and Water in an Emergency (2004) - from FEMA and American Red Cross, last accessed 02.10.19
• Consumer's Guide to Food Safety: Severe Storms and Hurricanes  (2015) - recommendations about keeping food safe during times of power outages and flooding, last accessed 02.10.19
  Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency  (2019) - how to determine if food is safe and how to keep food safe will help minimize the potential loss of food and reduce the risk of food related illness, last accessed 02.10.19
• Food labeling - “Sell by Feb 14" is a type of information you might find on a meat or poultry product. Are dates required on food products? Does it matter? last accessed 02.10.19

Evacuation

From Buildings

Evacuation and Accommodation of People with Disabilities - Project Safe EV-AC -  posted 11/23/06

• Individual Pack - information for people with disabilities regarding right to accommodation
• In Advance - Information regarding planning for personnel training, site preparation, and acquisition of tools and equipment 

Emergency Travel Safety Tips for Overnight Stays, Edition 1 – October 2017 - Tips for everyone. Items with a [*] are specifically for people with disabilities who because of a variety of disabilities (mobility, breathing, allergies, hearing, seeing, walking, understanding or chronic conditions) may have difficulty or be unable to: use stairwells, hear alarms, see or read exit signs and understand instructions. Safety tips include: check-in, personal support, in your guest room, other safety tips, and more resources.

Inclusive Event Procedures for Emergencies, Edition I, October 2017 - Event procedures for emergencies should be incorporated into event planning. Emergency procedures should anticipate the needs of everyone. Planning should recognize that there will be attendees with disabilities who may need evacuation or other assistance in an emergency. These attendees have a variety of disabilities (mobility, breathing, allergies, hearing, seeing, reading, understanding) or chronic conditions and may have difficulty or be unable to: use stairwells, hear alarms, see or read exit signs and understand instructions. Contents include: applying emergency planning strategies, safety considerations for site selection, projecting numbers of attendees with disabilities, checklist for inclusive emergency safety briefings for attendees, emergency planning with event facilities staff and more resources. Readers should use this emergency event guidance in conjunction with  information found in “Accessible Meetings, Events, and Conferences Guide.” http://www.adahospitality.org/accessible-meetings-events-conferences-guide/book

Transportation

Access & Functional Needs Evacuation Planning Toolkit DVD supports counties in planning for the evacuation and transportation needs of all individuals during an emergency. Includes issues to consider while planning for a large scale evacuation and provides tools.  last accessed 02.28.16

Be Ready to Go: Evacuation Transportation Planning Tips for People with Access and Functional Needs. June Kailes [2010] last accessed 02.28.16

Hazard Specific

Fire

Training and planning materials to be used by trusted community organizations to teach disaster readiness practices to people who are served by the organizations.  Useful local fire service agencies and partner community organizations to increase installation and testing of smoke alarms in high fire-risk residences, and provide effective smoke and fire safety planning by the individuals and families living in those residences. last accessed  05.21.11

Earthquakes

Earthquake Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities and Others with Access And Functional Needs [2014] Earthquake County Alliance

• Taking Control
• The big picture
• The anatomy of a safe building
• Home safe home
• Your Personal Safety
• Life with Foreshocks, Mainshocks and Aftershocks
• Common Earthquake Myths 

Earthquake Information from U.S. Geological Survey adena Office , last accessed 01/30/08,  includes minute by minute current information, including:

• Earthquake Probabilities Report
• Current Earthquake Information
• Earthquake Commentary & Special Reports
• Current GPS Monitoring
• Ground Motion Shake Maps

Living and Lasting on Shaky Ground: An Earthquake Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities, 1996, 147 pages.
** Format PDF: A, B, C, D, E, F

 Posted 04/16/08

Provides practical and disability-specific information used as a preparation tool for individuals with disabilities, their friends, families and service providers. Guide also serves as a training tool kit for disability-related organizations who offer workshops on earthquake preparedness for people with disabilities.

Topics includes: understanding why preparation is important, creating practical plans, identifying resources, developing strategies and putting plans into practice.

Lessons Documented

Disabled People and Disaster Planning a group of people primarily from Los Angeles County who met during 1996 and 1997 and formulated recommendations to reduce problems with accessibility that many people with disabilities experienced after the Northridge Earthquake of 1994. This group included individuals with disabilities and individuals from the disaster planning and response professions. ** last accessed 01/17/08

Disaster Preparedness For Persons With Disabilities Improving California's Response: A Report by The California Department of Rehabilitation, April 1997. ** last accessed 01.3.12

Emergency Preparedness and Emergency Communication Access: Lessons Learned Since 9/11 and Recommendations the work of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network (DHHCAN), The report represents an extensive summary of personal experiences by individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing on the fateful day of September 11, 2001 and thereafter under different circumstances.** last accessed 12.26.09

September 11, 2001: A Day to Remember,** New Mobility, 11/0, last accessed 01/17/08

Unsafe Refuge, Why did so many wheelchair users die on Sept. 11? ** New Mobility, 12/01, last accessed 01/17/08

Why We Don't Prepare Floods, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, Wildfires, Earthquakes ..., by AMANDA RIPLEY/ BOULDER, Sunday, Aug. 20, 2006, Time Magazine –An excellent and thought provoking article. Word Format

Support Teams

Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility For Your Safety, A Guide For People with Disabilities and Other Activity Limitations -  ** last accessed 01.29.10, From June Kailes [2002], contents - see description under Guides

Emergency Preparedness: Taking Responsibility For Your Safety - Tips for People with Activity Limitations and Disabilities
Los Angeles County Emergency Survival Program [2006] **, Formats: PDF, Microsoft Word 1 & 2, last accessed 01.29.10, contents - see description under Guides

Your Neighborhood

Building a neighborhood readiness plan – from the City of Los Angeles … with over 4 million people in the City, rescuers may not be able to provide immediate support to every neighborhood in need. Neighbors should be prepared to help themselves for several days to weeks depending on the size of the disaster. Last accessed 08.16.13, resources include:

• Toolkit Overview –all resources within the Toolkit.
• You Can Build a Neighborhood Disaster Plan in Just 5 Steps 
• Meeting Reminder Flyer - template to create a flyer to remind neighbors about the neighborhood disaster planning meeting.
• Facilitator Guide  - includes talking points, supplemental detail regarding the 5 steps, and ideas for future neighborhood disaster planning meetings.
• Neighbor Survey  - use to find out which neighbors might need extra help in a disaster, and which neighbors have special skills or training that might be helpful in response!
• Sample Disaster Plan 
• Plan Template - provides a structure for neighbors to insert information in to create a neighborhood disaster plan!
• Just-in-Time Training DVD  - provides added direction in developing a plan, to include footage of plan development conferences, interviews.

Map Your Neighborhood last accessed 05.24.11

A promising practice, from Washington State, helps neighborhoods prepare for disasters

• 9 Steps to Take Immediately Following a Disaster to secure your home and to protect your neighborhood. It is hard to think clearly following disaster and these steps will help you to quickly and safely take actions that can minimize damage and protect lives.
• Information includes how to:
• Identify the Skills and Equipment each neighbor has that would be useful in an effective disaster response. Knowing which neighbors have supplies and skills helps your disaster response be timely, and allows everyone to contribute to the response in a meaningful way.
• Create a Neighborhood Map identifying the locations of natural gas and propane tanks for quick response if needed.
• Contact List that helps identify those with specific needs such as people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs  or children who may be home alone during certain hours of the day.
• Work together as a team to evaluate your neighborhood after a disaster and take the necessary actions.

Videos

• Strengths: good visuals, limited, but not full, captioning and audio descriptions.
• Weaknesses:
• Access Issues:  not fully captioned or audio described, text on slides is not narrated, only available in English
  

• Turning Off….*
• How to turn off electricity at the circuit box – 48 seconds
• How to turn off residential water – 51 seconds
• Personal Safety and How to...*
• Draining your hot water heater (extra water during a disaster) 1.23 minutes
• Using a fire extinguisher – 2.05 minutes
• Personal safety near downed power lines – 1.24 minutes
• How to Secure...*
• Trip to the hardware store – 2.09 minutes
• Finding a wall stud – 1.04 minutes
• Securing a bookcase with hardware – 1.58 minutes
• Securing a bookcase with Velcro straps – 2.14 minutes
• Securing wall hangings – 2.07 minutes
• Securing cabinets – 2.37 minutes
• Securing dishes – 1.20 minutes

Students at Oregon School for the Deaf created a video in American Sign Language to help the American Red Cross Williamette Chapter in Salem, Oregon reach more people in the community. It informs people about 3 important preparedness actions for emergencies – Get a Kit, Make a Plan, and Be Informed. - 5  minutes

1. 3 Steps to Get Ready  - 3 minutes
2. Older Americans – 5 minutes
3. American with Disabilities – 5 minutes
4. Pets – 5 minutes (Weakness: Assumes people know what shelters will be open prior to an event. Strength: Shows how tiny an animal identification chip is.
   

• Strengths: good visuals, text of transcripts  available
• Weaknesses:
• Access Issues:  not captioned or audio described, text on slides is not narrated, only available in English
• Content: 
• Old advices regarding you are on your own for 3 days –verses new advice – it very well may be longer – 7 days.
• Assumes you have extra medications to store and economic means to afford to buy supplies
• Kits seems very heavy to carry unless you are driving are driving.

Emergency Car Kit: 10 Essentials for a Road Evacuation -  2 minutes, last accessed  02.5.10, Access Issues: not captioned, but text transcript is included on the web page!

Chemical Sensitivities and Allergies, last accessed 01/17/08

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filtration) Filter Fans

Once you have sealed a room with plastic sheeting and duct tape you may have created a better barrier between you and any contaminants that may be outside. However, no seal is perfect and some leakage is likely. In addition to which, you may find yourself in a space that is already contaminated to some degree.

Consider a portable air purifier, with a HEPA filter, to help remove contaminants from the room where you are sheltering. These highly efficient filters have small sieves that can capture very tiny particles, including some biological agents. Once trapped within a HEPA filter contaminants cannot get into your body and make you sick. While these filters are excellent at filtering dander, dust, molds, smoke, biological agents and other contaminants, they will not stop chemical gases.

Some people, particularly those with severe allergies and asthma, use HEPA filters in masks, portable air purifiers as well as in larger home or industrial models to continuously filter the air.

Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind People

Building an Emergency Kit: Checklist, By Elizabeth Spiers, 2007, Association for the Deaf-Blind, Last accessed  01.11.12

Disaster Preparedness for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and DeafBlind People  - Video is signed and captioned, last accessed 12.26.09 Videos - also see above

Videos with ASL interpreters advising how to prepare for and cope with emergencies. The  18 videos also have an audible voice over and text appearing alongside the interpreter.  Along with the videos is the Emergency Preparedness Guide formatted in Braille, large print, and regular font for download. Last accessed 12.26.09  

Receiving Information in an Emergency from Community Emergency Preparedness Network (Formats: PDF) posted 01.3.12

• NOAA Weather Radios and Questions and Answers from the NOAA web site 
• Televisions
• Text Messages
• Which Smoke Alarm is Best for You

National Fire Protection Association’s comprehensive guide on Smoke Alarms for People Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing, (Format: PDF), last accessed 12.26.09

Developmental Disability

Emergency Preparedness Webinar for PAS Users: Transcript, Slides Personal Assistance Center for Personal Assistance Services 8/23/13. Highlights tips relevant to individuals who use personal assistants, attendants. Planning elements include support teams, communication, evacuating and sheltering, supplies and resources that provide additional ‘how to” details on these areas. Input from online surveys and research with PAS users with real world experience with living through an emergency are also be woven into this webinar.

 Emergency Preparedness for Personal Assistant Services (PAS) Users, Edition 2.0, 2016 contains tips specific to individuals who use personal assistants, attendants or caregivers. Planning elements include a checklist, support teams, communication, evacuating and sheltering, supplies and resources that provide more ‘how to” details. WORD

Emergency Power Planning for People Who Use Electricity and Battery Dependent Assistive Technology and Medical Devices, ** From June Kailes [2009], format: PDF, contents - see description under Guides

Speech

 Limited Speech: Preparedness Checklist  last accessed 09/18/08

Service Animals

• Animals in Emergencies – What Owners Need to Know, 40 minute video 2007, captioned, last accessed 12.23.11, Spanish Version

• Service Animal Emergency Preparedness, last accessed 01/17/08

• Information form: Interagency Coordinating Council On Emergency Preparedness And Individuals With Disabilities last accessed 09.2.10

Emergency Health Information  (2011 Edition 2)** in PDF, Microsoft Word.

• create your emergency health information (includes forms)
  
• storing copies in key places

Communication Passport Accident and Emergency - a picture and plan text method for communicating emergency health information PDF

General Information

Are You Ready Guide  FEMA Guide,

• Preface
• Why Prepare
• Basic Preparedness
• Natural Hazards
• Technological Hazards
• Terrorism
• Recovering From Disaster

Prepare in a Year – one hour each month helps you be ready for disasters whenever they occur. last accessed 09.4.12 , from the Emergency Management Division, State of Washington