• Personal Preparedness Planning
• Disability Law: Know your Rights
• General Disability Preparedness Information
• Develop Your Plan
• Disability Specific Preparedness
• Disaster Specific Preparedness
• Assistive Technology for Emergencies
• Personal Communications Technology for Emergencies
• Educators Preparedness
• Work Related Preparedness
• Public Spaces
• Research on Accessible Emergency Preparedness

Develop Your Plan

Emergency preparedness is the preparation and planning necessary to effectively handle an emergency. It involves individuals developing an emergency plan that identifies services they require, and what resources they need to have on hand in case of an emergency. Emergency plans should be written and given to loved ones, care givers and other relevant parties.

When it comes to emergency planning, you know yourself and your needs the best, so you are the ideal person to create your personalized emergency preparedness plan. When creating your personal preparedness plan, it is vital to identify the following:

1. Responsible party for carrying out specific actions;
2. Personnel, equipment, supplies, medications and needs specific to an individual;
3. Emergency contact information;
4. Other resources available for use in the emergency; and
5. An outline of how all actions will be coordinated.

Depending on your disability, your specific emergency plan may need to include resources on:

1. Type of assistance needed and instructions on how to obtain needed resources;
2. Coordination of the transportation, payment and delivery of supplies.

There are a number of sites that have comprehensive emergency preparedness planning information for general populations, which are as follows:

• Are You Ready?
  Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) step-by-step guide on emergency preparedness planning.
• Make a Plan
  U.S. Department of Homeland Security's comprehensive information about emergency preparedness and planning.
• Prepare.Org
  American Red Cross' comprehensive information about emergency preparedness and planning.
• Publications on How to Prepare for Natural Disasters
  Federal Citizen Information Center's list of free materials on emergency preparedness and planning.
• Are You Ready?: A Guide to Citizen Preparedness
  Developed by FEMA, Are You Ready? will help individuals prepare themselves and their families for disasters by providing a step-by-step outline on how to prepare a disaster supply kit, emergency planning for people with disabilities, how to locate and evacuate to a shelter, and even contingency planning for family pets.

There are a number of sites that have emergency preparedness planning information for persons with disabilities, which are as follows:

• Ready America People with Disabilities Emergency Preparedness Brochure
  Guidance from the Ready campaign regarding personal preparedness planning guidance for Americans with Disabilities.
• "Tip Sheets for."
  June Isaacson Kailes' guides on disaster preparedness.
• Disaster Mitigation for Persons with Disabilities: Fostering a New Dialogue (PDF) (7 pp, 155 K)
  Annenberg Washington Program's study on accessible emergency preparedness.
• Emergency Preparedness Checklist for Those with Disabilities
  Developed by the Arizona Office for Americans with Disabilities, this checklist includes suggestions on how to plan ahead in the event of a disaster, how to plan evacuation, tips for service animals and pet owners, and a list of important items to have on hand.
• Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and other Special Needs
  Prepared by FEMA and the American Red Cross, this booklet will help people with disabilities prepare and emergency plan to protect themselves, family, friends, personal care assistant and others in the support network in the event of an emergency.
• Get Prepared: For Seniors & People with Disabilities
  Guidance from the New York City's Office of Emergency Management regarding personal preparedness planning guidance for seniors and people with disabilities.