Preparing 

Makes Sense 

for People with 

Disabilities and 

Special Needs. 

Get Ready 

Now.

www.ready.gov

Preparing Makes 

Sense. Get Ready Now.

The likelihood that you and your family will 

recover from an emergency tomorrow often 

depends on the planning and preparation done 

today. While each person’s abilities and needs 

are unique, every individual can take steps to 

prepare for all kinds of emergencies from fires 

and floods to potential terrorist attacks. By 

evaluating your own personal needs and making 

an emergency plan that fits those needs, you 

and your loved ones can be better prepared. 

This guide outlines commonsense measures 

individuals with disabilities, special needs and 

their caregivers can take to start preparing for 

emergencies before they happen. Preparing 

makes sense for people with disabilities and 

special needs.

Get Ready Now. 

1

 Get a Kit Of Emergency Supplies 

 The first step is to consider how an emer

-

gency might affect your individual needs. Plan to 

make it on your own, for at least three days. It’s 

possible that you will not have access to a medical 

facility or even a drugstore. It is crucial that you 

and your family think about what kinds of resources 

you use on a daily basis and what you might do if 

those resources are limited or not available.

Basic Supplies: Think first about the basics for 

survival – food, water, clean air and any life-sustaining 

items you require. Consider two kits. In one kit put 

everything you will need to stay where you are and 

make it on your own for a period of time. The other 

kit should be a lightweight, smaller version you can 

take with you if you have to leave your home. 

Recommended basic emergency supplies include: ◗ Water, one gallon of water per person per day 

for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation ◗ Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable 

food and a can opener if kit contains canned food ◗ Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a 

NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra 

batteries for both ◗ Flashlight and extra batteries ◗ First aid kit ◗ Whistle to signal for help ◗ Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and 

plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place

◗ Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties 

for personal sanitation ◗ Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities ◗ Local maps ◗ Pet food, extra water and supplies for your pet 

or service animal

3

 Be Informed

 About What Might Happen 

 Some of the things you can do to 

prepare for the unexpected, such as assembling 

an emergency supply kit and making an emer-

gency plan are the same regardless of the type 

of emergency. However, it’s important to stay 

informed about what might happen and know 

what types of emergencies are likely to affect 

your region. For more information about specific 

types of emergencies, visit www.ready.gov.

Be prepared to adapt this information to your 

personal circumstances and make every effort 

to follow instructions received from authorities 

on the scene. Above all, stay calm, be patient 

and think before you act. With these simple 

preparations, you can be ready for 

the unexpected. 

Preparing Makes Sense for People 

with Disabilities and Special Needs. 

Get Ready Now.

This information was developed by the U.S. Department of 

Homeland Security in consultation with AARP, the American 

Red Cross and the National Organization on Disability.

READY-RP-0406-01. 
Include Medications and Medical Supplies:

If you take medicine or use a medical treatment on 

a daily basis, be sure you have what you need on 

hand to make it on your own for at least a week. 

You should also keep a copy of your prescriptions as 

well as dosage or treatment information. If it is not 

possible to have a week-long supply of medicines 

and supplies, keep as much as possible on hand and 

talk to your pharmacist or doctor about what else 

you should do to prepare. 

If you undergo routine treatments administered by 

a clinic or hospital or if you receive regular services 

such as home health care, treatment or transportation, 

talk to your service provider about their emergency 

plans. Work with them to identify back-up service 

providers within your area and the areas you might 

evacuate to. If you use medical equipment in your 

home that requires electricity to operate, talk to 

your health care provider about what you can do to 

prepare for its use during a power outage. 

Additional Items: In addition, there may be other 

things specific to your personal needs that you 

should also have on hand. If you use eyeglasses, 

hearing aids and hearing aid batteries, wheelchair 

batteries, and oxygen, be sure you always have 

extras in your home. Also have copies of your medical 

insurance, Medicare and Medicaid cards readily 

available. If you have a service animal, be sure to include food, water, collar with ID tag, medical records 

and other emergency pet supplies. 

Include Emergency Documents: Include 

copies of important documents in your emergency 

supply kits such as family records, medical records, 

wills, deeds, social security number, charge and bank 

accounts information, and tax records. It is best to 

keep these documents in a waterproof container. 

If there is any information related to operating equipment or life-saving devices that you rely on, include 

those in your emergency kit as well, and also make 

sure that a trusted friend or family member has 

copies of these documents. Include the names and 

numbers of everyone in your personal support network, as well as your medical providers. If you have a 

communication disability, make sure your emergency 

information list notes the best way to communicate 

with you. Also be sure you have cash or travelers 

checks in your kits in case you need to 

purchase supplies.

2

 Make a Plan 

 For What You Will Do in an Emergency

 

 The reality of a disaster situation is 

that you will likely not have access to everyday 

conveniences. To plan in advance, think through the 

details of your everyday life. If there are people who 

assist you on a daily basis, list who they are and how 

you will contact them in an emergency. Create your 

own personal support network by identifying others 

who will help you in an emergency. Think about what 

modes of transportation you use and what alternative 

modes could serve as back-ups. If you require handicap 

accessible transportation be sure your alternatives 

are also accessible. If you have tools or aids specific 

to your disability, plan how you would cope without 

them. For example, if you use a communication device, 

mobility aid, or rely on a service animal, what will you 

do if these are not available? If you are dependent on 

life-sustaining equipment or treatment such as a dialysis 

machine, find out the location and availability of more 

than one facility. For every aspect of your daily routine, 

plan an alternative procedure. Make a plan and write 

it down. Keep a copy of your plan in your emergency 

supply kits and a list of important information and 

contacts in your wallet. Share your plan with your family, 

friends, care providers and others in your personal 

support network.

Create a Personal Support Network: If you 

anticipate needing assistance during a disaster, make 

a list of family, friends and others who will be part of 

your plan. Talk to these people and ask them to be part 

of your support network. Share each aspect of your 

emergency plan with everyone in your group, including 

a friend or relative in another area who would not be 

impacted by the same emergency who can help if 

necessary. Make sure everyone knows how you plan to 

evacuate your home, school or workplace and where 

you will go in case of a disaster. Make sure that someone in your personal support network has an extra key 

to your home and knows where you keep your emergency supplies. Teach them how to use any lifesaving 

equipment or administer medicine in case of an 

emergency. If you use a wheelchair, oxygen or other 

medical equipment show friends how to use these 

devices so they can move you if necessary or help 

you evacuate. Practice your plan with those who have 

agreed to be part of your personal support network.

Inform your employer and co-workers about your disability and let them know specifically what assistance 

you will need in an emergency. This is particularly

important if you need to be lifted or carried. Talk about 

communication difficulties, physical limitations, equipment instructions and medication procedures. If you are 

hearing impaired, discuss the best ways to alert you in 

an emergency. If you have a cognitive disability, be sure 

to work with your employer to determine how to best 

notify you of an emergency and what instruction 

methods are easiest for you to follow. Always participate 

in exercises, trainings and emergency drills offered by 

your employer. 

Develop a Family Communications Plan: 

Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, 

so plan how you will contact one another and review 

what you will do in different situations. Consider a plan 

where each family member calls or e-mails the same 

friend or relative in the event of an emergency. It may 

be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to 

call across town, so an out-of-town contact, not in the 

impacted area, may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members. You may have 

trouble getting through, or the phone system may be 

down altogether, but be patient. For more information 

on how to develop a family communications plan, visit 

www.ready.gov. 

Deciding to Stay or Go: Depending on your 

circumstances and the nature of the emergency, the 

first important decision is whether you stay or go. You 

should understand and plan for both possibilities. Use 

common sense and available information to determine 

if there is immediate danger. In any emergency, local 

authorities may or may not immediately be able to 

provide information on what is happening and what you 

should do. However, you should monitor television or 

radio news reports for information or official instructions 

as they become available. If you’re specifically told to 

evacuate or seek medical treatment, do so immediately. 

If you require additional travel time or need transportation assistance, make these arrangements in advance.

Consider Your Service Animal or Pets: Whether 

you decide to stay put in an emergency or evacuate to 

a safer location, you will need to make plans in advance 

for your service animal and pets. Keep in mind that 

what’s best for you is typically what’s best for your 

animals. If you must evacuate, take your pets with you, 

if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, 

it is important to understand that by law only service 

animals must be allowed inside. Plan in advance for 

shelter alternatives that will work for both you and your 

animals; consider loved ones or friends outside of your 

immediate area, pet-friendly shelters and veterinarians 

who would be willing to take in you and your pets in an 

emergency. For more information about pet 

preparedness, visit www.ready.gov. 

Staying Put: Whether you are at home or elsewhere, there may be situations when it’s simply best 

to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty 

outside. Consider what you can do to safely shelterin-place alone or with friends, family or neighbors. 

Also consider how a shelter designated for the public 

would meet your needs. 

There could be times when you will need to stay put 

and create a barrier between yourself and potentially 

contaminated air outside. This process is known as 

“sealing the room.” Use available information to assess 

the situation. If you see large amounts of debris in the 

air, or if local authorities say the air is badly contaminated, you may want to take this kind of action. For 

more information about “sealing the room,” visit 

www.ready.gov. 

Evacuation: There may be conditions in which you 

will decide to get away or there may be situations 

when you may be ordered to leave. Plan how you will 

get away and anticipate where you will go. Choose 

several destinations in different directions so you 

have options in an emergency. Ask about evacuation 

plans at the places where you spend time including 

work, school, community organizations and other 

places you frequent. If you typically rely on elevators, 

have a back-up plan in case they are not working. 

Fire Safety: Plan two ways out of every room in 

case of fire. Check for items such as bookcases, 

hanging pictures, or overhead lights that could fall 

and block an escape path. Check hallways, stairwells, 

doorways, windows and other areas for hazards that 

may keep you from safely leaving a building during an 

emergency. Secure or remove furniture and objects 

that may block your path. If there are aspects of 

preparing your home or workplace that you are not 

able to do yourself, enlist the help of your personal 

support network. 

Contact Your Local Emergency Information 

Management Office: Some local emergency 

management offices maintain registers of people 

with disabilities so you can be located and assisted 

quickly in a disaster. Contact your local emergency 

management agency to see if these services exist 

where you live or visit www.ready.gov to find links to 

government offices in your area. In addition, wearing 

medical alert tags or bracelets that identify your disability can be a crucial aid in an emergency situation. 

When traveling, consider alerting hotel or motel workers 

if you will need help in a disaster situation.