Emergency Preparedness & Evacuation

The National Organization on Disability (NOD) Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI) offers materials for people with disabilities, emergency planners, managers, and responders.

The Disability Preparedness Resource Center is maintained by the Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities. Information is available for individuals with disabilities, as well as planners and responders.

The Department of Homeland Security site includes information on Federal initiatives to prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters of all types. The Department also offers the Ready.gov web site, which includes information in a number of languages.

The Department of Justice has developed An ADA Guide for Local Governments: Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities, as well as the ADA Checklist for Emergency Shelters.

The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) in the U.S. Department of Labor offers information about emergency preparedness in the workplace. The site includes a "template" entitled Preparing the Workplace for Everyone: Accounting for the Needs of People with Disabilities, which was designed as a guide for planning and implementation activities for federal agencies.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) hosts a web site with information related to emergency preparedness, transportation accessibility, and evacuation methods for certain modes of transportation, such as transit and rail systems. It is designed to be an emergency transportation preparedness resource for individuals with disabilities, their family members, and care givers, as well as transportation providers.

The Centers for Disease Control features information on preparedness for biological, chemical, and radiological threats. Information is posted in several languages.

The Community Emergency Preparedness Information Network (CEPIN) works to develop model community education programs for deaf and hard of hearing consumers.

The National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) Emergency Response Preparedness Self Assessment Instrument was developed to help state officials evaluate their preparedness plans in light of the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Ready, Willing, and Able: Assisting People with Disabilities in Disasters is a two-hour, online course, developed by the Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTCIL) at the University of Kansas. It is designed for the public health, hospital, preparedness, emergency response, and disaster relief workforce. To access the course, you must create an account at TRAIN, a free service of the Public Health Foundation. The course number is 1020884.

The Red Cross coordinates relief efforts around the world, and offers information (English and Spanish) and products for preparedness.

The U. S. Access Board's own evacuation plan, along with a description of how they developed it, is posted to their web site.

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) consultants have compiled resources and information on emergency evacuation, policies and procedures, work site modifications and accommodations, and training and resources.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has posted a Fact Sheet on Obtaining and Using Employee Medical Information as Part of Emergency Evacuation Procedures.

The United Spinal Association's publication Fire Safety for Wheelchair Users at Work and at Home.

June Kailes' web site offers Disaster Resources for People with Disabilities, Disability-Related Organizations, Emergency Managers & Planners.

The DP2: Disabled People and Disaster Planning web site information was compiled to address earthquake readiness and response, but much of the information may be helpful in other situations. Topics discussed include: preparation, accessibility issues in emergency shelters, training for rescue and law enforcement workers, evacuation for wheelchair users, and communication and information dissemination.

Basic Tips in Emergency Preparedness for Seniors and People with Disabilities is from the Bay Area Emergency Preparedness Coalition.

Help with the Healing, offered by the Forum for Youth Investment, includes information about how to help children and youth cope with disasters, war, terrorism, trauma, grief, loss, and hate.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency sponsors the FEMA for Kids web site, which has kid-friendly information about disaster preparedness, games and quizzes, and a kid-to-kid connection page for sharing disaster experience stories, poems, and artwork. There are also "Parents and Teachers" pages with activities, curriculum, and safety information for home and classroom use.

The Cyberpet web site includes Animal Disaster Preparedness, covering strategies and emergency preparedness training for animals. (This article discusses pets, not service animals).

Disability Prepared   provides information and exemplary current best practice efforts addressing disaster-related needs of people with disabilities. These are new ideas or fresh approaches using proven methods that can be replicated at state or local government levels.