Quick Guide to
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
6. People with Disabilities and Special Needs
CONTENTS
Page 2
Special Needs Considerations
Page 5
People with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities
Page 6
People with Mental Illness and Psychiatric Disabilities
Page 6
People with Hearing and Speech Disabilities
Page 7
People with Visual Disabilities
Page 7
People with Mobility Disabilities
Page 8
People with Service Animals
Page 9
People with Other Disabilities
Page 9
Older People / Seniors
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Quick Guide to
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
6. People with Disabilities and Special Needs
SPECIAL NEEDS CONSIDERATIONS
Here are some things to think about if you or your family member has special
needs. Find what may apply to you. Make your plan fit your special needs.
Household Information & Communications Plan

Identify your network of friends, relatives, and neighbors who will check on you in
an emergency and help if needed. Develop a network, if you do not have one.
o Arrange with your network about the help you need.
o Share your emergency plan.
o Plan how your network will contact you during an emergency.
o Practice your plan.
o

Plan how you will be alerted to emergencies.
Evacuation Plan

If you depend on life-sustaining equipment or treatment, check with your doctor
about where to go if you need to evacuate.

If you do not have your own vehicle, plan how you will get to an emergency shelter
or other place.

If your mobility is limited, arrange for help to leave buildings when you cannot use
the elevator.

At work: Inform your employer and co-workers about your special needs. Discuss
the best way to alert you, and what help you will need in an emergency.
Health and Special Needs Information

Have a brief record about your health, including:
o Health insurance.
o Health providers. List other providers as a backup, if needed.
o Medical condition or disability.
o Medicines and dose. Have copies of prescriptions.
o Treatment or therapies.
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Quick Guide to
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
6. People with Disabilities and Special Needs
Medical devices/equipment & assistive technology.
Language & how you communicate.
Power of attorney & advance directive.
o
o
o

Keep health and special needs information with you at all times. Keep it in your
emergency supply kit, wallet, and other places. Update it when there are changes.

Wear a medical alert tag or bracelet with your special need.

If your medical equipment needs electricity, find out about battery backup or
generators.

If you depend on life support such as ventilator, notify utility companies. Ask your
doctor about when to go to a hospital when there is a power failure.
Emergency Supplies
If you do not have extras for your Grab & Go Bag, remember to take essential items
when you evacuate.

Medicines – 1-2 week supply. Work with your doctor to obtain an extra supply of
medicines. Rotate stored medicines so that they do not expire. If needed, have a
cooler for ice or other method to store medicine that must be kept cold.

Medical supplies, such as syringes, tubes, catheters, padding, etc.

Special dietary foods.

Extra hearing aid, eyeglasses, magnifiers, cane, word or letter board, lightweight
manual wheelchair, etc.

Batteries, chargers, or other power source for medical devices and equipment.

Supplies for wheelchair use – heavy gloves to use while wheeling over glass and
debris, patch kit or can of "seal-in-air" to repair flat tires, extra supply of inner tubes.

Supplies for service animals.

Written directions about your equipment or how to help. For example:
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Quick Guide to
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
6. People with Disabilities and Special Needs
How to operate and move your equipment.
How to safely carry you, if needed. Include vulnerable areas.
How to practice strict cleanliness when helping with personal hygiene
How to help with bathing or dressing.
o
o
o
o

Written cards to explain your special need and the help you need. For example:
o “I’m deaf, I use American sign language. Write instructions. I need a sign
language interpreter.”
o “I cannot read. I use a communication device. I can point to simple
pictures or words on a sheet in my wallet or emergency supply kit.”
o “It may be hard for me to understand what you are telling me. Please
speak slowly and use simple words.”
o “My speech is not clear. Ask me to repeat if you cannot understand me.”
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Quick Guide to
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
6. People with Disabilities and Special Needs
PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES
Developmental and intellectual disabilities, such as mental retardation, affect an
individual’s ability to understand or remember information. Depending on the cause of
disability, cognitive impairments may be temporary or permanent. A person with an
intellectual disability may have difficulty processing emergency warnings and alerts. In
many instances, participation in drills or emergency simulations will be beneficial.
However, people with intellectual disabilities who have difficulty processing information,
may be dependent on others for their safety.
The following web sites have more information about emergency preparedness for
individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities:

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Tips for People with Cognitive Disabilities
American Red Cross’ tips for people with cognitive disabilities in disasters.
Coping with Disaster--Suggestions for Helping Children with Cognitive Disabilities
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services guide on assisting children with
cognitive disabilities cope during disasters.
Coping with Disaster: A Guide for Families and Others who Support Adults with
Cognitive Disabilities
Project Cope's guide for persons with cognitive disabilities and their supporters
during disasters.
PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESS / PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITIES
A psychiatric disability is when mental illness significantly interferes with the
performance of major life activities, such as learning, thinking, communicating and
sleeping, among others. A person with a psychiatric disability may have difficulty
processing emergency warnings and alerts, or focusing on instructions under duress.
Every disaster situation brings more than environmental and property damage. Many
people experience emotions of fear, panic and shock as well as a sense of cooperation
and teamwork. These are natural reactions to unusual situations. How people deal with
their emotions will vary – some will experience a worsening or return of a mental illness,
for some it will trigger a new mental illness.
The following web sites have more information about emergency preparedness for
individuals with psychiatric disabilities:

Tips for People with Psychiatric Disabilities
American Red Cross’ tips for persons with psychiatric disabilities during
emergencies.
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Quick Guide to
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
6. People with Disabilities and Special Needs
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Blueprint for Responding to Public Mental Health Needs in Times of Crises
National Mental Health Association's guide to mental health needs during
emergencies.
Earthquake Tips for Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities
American Red Cross' guide for persons with psychiatric disabilities during
earthquakes.
How to Cope with 9/11 if You Already Have a Panic Disorder
Cathleen Henning's article on coping strategies.
PEOPLE WITH HEARING AND SPEECH DISABILITIES
People who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind are at a unique disadvantage when it
comes to traditional means of receiving emergency information. Television, radio, sirens
and police loudspeakers are largely dependent on one's ability to hear. Although there
are some methods available to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, such as
captioning and text-based messaging, people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deafblind must be prepared to get information in an accessible manner.
People with speech disabilities are often not able to communicate with others. Some
people with speech disabilities may rely on augmentative communication devices, like
an electronically synthesized board, a qualified speech interpreters, speech-to-speech
telephone relay service, may use their own voice which can sometimes be difficult to
understand.
The following web sites have more information about emergency preparedness for
individuals with hearing or speech disabilities:
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Tips for People with Hearing Disabilities
American Red Cross’ guide for persons with hearing disabilities during emergencies.
Tips for People with Communication Disabilities
American Red Cross’ guide for persons with speech disabilities during emergencies.
Use of TTYs with Wireless Phones
U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s Fact Sheet for TTY users making
emergency phone calls with their wireless phones.
Emergency Preparedness
National Association of the Deaf’s resource guide on emergency preparedness for
persons who are deaf.
Emergency Preparedness Project
TDI’s resource guide for deaf, hard of hearing, and deaf-blind individuals in times of
emergencies.
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Quick Guide to
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
6. People with Disabilities and Special Needs
PEOPLE WITH VISUAL DISABILITIES
In emergency situations, people who are either blind or visually impaired have specific
needs such as gaining access to emergency plans in accessible formats (including
Braille, large print, computer disk, or cassette), being appropriately oriented to the
nearest emergency exits and related escape routes, having an accessible and timely
alternative to accessible emergency alerts, and having the option of contacting a
designated point person to assist with evacuation if needed.
The following web sites have more information about emergency preparedness for
persons who are blind or visually impaired:

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Tips for People with Visual Disabilities
American Red Cross’ guide for persons with vision disabilities in emergencies.
Earthquake Tips for Persons with Vision Disabilities
American Red Cross' guide for persons with vision disabilities in earthquakes.
Blind kids can be 'rescuer'
This article appeared in the Louisville Courier-Journal. It illustrates how blind
children can be taught to deal with emergencies and use the internet.
PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS
Mobility specific preparedness should address the needs of all populations, from an
individual born with cerebral palsy, to a teenager with quadriplegia from a diving
accident, to the adult who develops multiple sclerosis at age 30, to an elder adult who
develops age-related arthritis. Regardless of the cause of disability, each of these
individuals needs to ambulate down the stairs, and may not be able to do so without
assistance or equipment. Possible issues include walking, stepping, breathing, stamina,
strength, cardiovascular stress and balance.
Always ask the person how you can help before attempting any assistance. Every
person and every disability is unique – even though it may be important to evacuate the
location where the person is, respect their independence to the extent possible. Don’t
make assumptions about the person’s abilities. Ask if they have limitations or problems
that may affect their safety. Some people may need assistance getting out of bed or
out of a chair, but CAN then proceed without assistance. Ask!
The following web sites have information about mobility specific preparedness:

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Tips for People with Mobility Concerns
American Red Cross’ guide for persons with mobility disabilities in disasters.
Nobody Left Behind
Emergency Preparedness and People with Mobility Impairment’s resource guide.
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Quick Guide to
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
6. People with Disabilities and Special Needs
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Earthquake Tips for Persons with Mobility Disabilities
American Red Cross' guide for persons with mobility disabilities in earthquakes.
Evacuating Wheelchair Users
Disabled People & Disaster Planning's guide on evacuation of wheelchair users.
Preparing for Emergencies: A Checklist for People with Mobility Problems
Developed by FEMA and the American Red Cross, this checklist will help people
with mobility problems start preparing an emergency plan. [PDF 4 pages; 164 KB]
PEOPLE WITH SERVICE ANIMALS
Service animals are guide dogs, signal dogs, or other animals individually trained to
provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals
are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been
licensed or certified by a state or local government.
Service animals perform some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a
disability cannot perform independently. "Seeing eye dogs" are one type of service
animal used by some individuals who are blind. This is the type of service animal with
which most people are familiar. But today there are many other types of service animals
that assist people with other kinds of disabilities in their day-to-day activities too.
Because people with disabilities who use service animals depend on the assistance of
their animal to perform major life functions, service animals are a critical component of
an emergency preparedness plan for users of service animals. Their emergency
preparedness plan should address the health, welfare and safety of their service animal,
as well as ways to have the service animal assist the individual in emergencies.
The following web sites have more information about emergency preparedness for
individuals with disabilities who use service animals:
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Tips for People with Service Animals or Pets
American Red Cross’ guide for owners of service animals during emergencies.
Protecting Your Service Dog in an Emergency
Activteen's guide for service dog safety in times of emergency.
Disaster Preparedness and Response Program
American Veterinary Medical Association's guide for pet and service animal care
during emergencies.
Earthquake Tips for Owners of Service Animals
Red Cross' tips for service animals.
On High Alert: Emergency Preparedness for You and Your Pets
Humane Society of the United States guide on emergency preparedness planning
for pets.
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Quick Guide to
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
6. People with Disabilities and Special Needs
PEOPLE WITH OTHER DISABILITIES
There are thousands of kinds of disabilities and each disability affects individuals
differently. In addition, many people have multiple disabilities. The following web sites
have more information about emergency preparedness for individuals with other
disabilities:

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Tips for People with Life Support Systems
American Red Cross’s emergency preparedness planning tips for persons on life
support systems.
Red Cross: Tips for People with Disabilities and Medical Concerns
American Red Cross emergency preparedness planning tips for persons with
disabilities and medical concerns.
Tips for People with Environmental or Chemical Sensitivities
American Red Cross’ tips for people with environmental or chemical sensitivities
during emergencies.
Diabetes During Emergencies and Disasters
Emergency preparedness guide for persons with diabetes.
OLDER PEOPLE / SENIORS
Senior citizens often have disabilities, and even multiple disabilities. Their disabilities
may be newly acquired, or even undetected. Emergency preparedness that includes
seniors benefits persons with disabilities, and vice versa.
The following web sites have more information about emergency preparedness for
seniors:
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Ready America Older Americans Emergency Preparedness Brochure
Guidance from the Ready campaign regarding personal preparedness planning
guidance for older Americans.
How to Develop a Disaster Action Plan for Older, Distant Relatives
AARP’s guide on developing an emergency preparedness plan for seniors.
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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
6. People with Disabilities and Special Needs
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