While each person’s abilities and needs are unique, every individual can take steps to prepare for emergencies. By evaluating your personal needs and making an emergency plan that fits those needs, you can be better prepared. This page summarizes measures individuals with disabilities and special needs and their caregivers can take to prepare for emergencies.
Get Ready Now
Take time before a disaster to add special needs items to your Household Plan and Emergency Kit.
Mobility
- If you or a family member has difficulty moving quickly and easily, make sure your neighbors are aware and you have someone who can check in during an emergency.
- Develop a support network with several people who will follow up with you after an emergency.
Medication and Medical Supplies
- Keep a separate supply of at least seven days worth of any medication or critical medical supplies, such as oxygen.
- If you rely on electric medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, insulin pumps, ventilators, and oxygen compressors, talk to your medical supply company about extra batteries or a generator as a back-up power source.
Care
- During an emergency, personal care attendants may not be able to make it to their patients. Make sure you have made arrangements with caregivers who are familiar with your personal care agency’s emergency policy.
- If you have a service animal, make sure it has a registered tag.
- Extra mobility aids, including a manual wheelchair. Car batteries may be used to run an electric wheelchair.
- A whistle to signal for help.
- Necessary medications and supplies.
- Special sanitary needs.
- Important medical phone numbers.
- Food that meets special dietary needs.
- List of medications, medical conditions, insurance information, allergies, and a copy of your insurance cards. Keep one copy with you at all times, and give the other copy to someone else for safekeeping.
For Additional Information
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