Be prepared to provide extra food and water to disabled people with service guide animals. In neighborhoods where familiar landmarks are altered or missing due to an earthquake, some visually impaired people may need personal assistance to travel about.
Some people are non-vocal but still capable of thinking and making their needs known.
Shelter staff need to be aware, patient and creative. Avoid using outdoor areas that are muddy, sandy, or covered by thick grass. Shelter personnel should know how to use the California Relay Service to make and receive phone calls with hearing and speech impaired individuals. Permit people with mobility impairments the option of going to the head of long lines. Train staff to realize that some people have the physical ability to ride buses, but do not have the cognitive ability to learn new routes established because of a disaster.