Emergency Preparedness Is Not “One Size Fits All”

For the millions of Americans living with disabilities, an emergency can present a unique set of challenges and concerns. It's important to make sure everyone's needs are taken care of when the unexpected happens – especially if you or someone you know has a disability.

Emergency preparedness is not "one size fits all." Each of us is different, and emergency plans should be tailored to meet specific needs. People with disabilities, communities, and public health professionals can work together to be prepared.

Here are some general tips for people with disabilities, communities and emergency managers:

• Those who take medications should keep an adequate supply on hand, along with copies of their prescriptions.
• People who need power for medical or other assistive devices should keep extra sets of batteries, and consider a generator for home use if a power outage may jeopardize health or safety.
• People with dietary needs should have an emergency food supply.
• Emergency managers can send emergency alerts and warnings in an accessible form for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Prepare for service animals. People with service animals should make sure they have an emergency kit for their service animals. Local shelters are required by law to admit service animals during emergencies.

Community groups and responders should be prepared to offer appropriate assistance to people with disabilities. It is critical that emergency planners – like shelter managers, hospitals, and service providers – take a "whole-community" approach when considering the needs of people with disabilities before, during and after a crisis.

Knowledge is Power

CDC, through the Disability and Health Branch at the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, funds state programs to promote the health and quality of life of people with disabilities. Over the years, this funding has supported emergency preparedness and response activities for people with disabilities.

The branch has developed a new online catalog, Emergency Preparedness: Including People with Disabilities, that brings together materials developed by State Disability and Health Programs and their partners. These resources can help public health professionals, emergency personnel, and community members learn about considerations for people with disabilities and emergency preparedness, create emergency and response plans, and help people with disabilities develop their own personal readiness plans.