EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS
FOR PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES

Information for Personal Assistants
Emergencies can happen at a moment's notice. Know your plans ahead of time.

Disability/Special Need	Additional Steps
Visually impaired	May be extremely reluctant to leave familiar surroundings when the request for evacuation comes from a stranger. A guide dog could become confused or disoriented in a disaster. People who are blind or partially sighted may have to depend on others to lead them, as well as their dog, to safety during a disaster.
Hearing impaired	May need to make special arrangements to receive warnings.
Mobility impaired	May need special assistance to get to a shelter.
Single working parent	May need help to plan for disasters and emergencies.
Non-English speaking persons	May need assistance planning for and responding to emergencies. Community and cultural groups may be able to help keep people informed.
People without vehicles	May need to make arrangements for transportation.
People with special dietary needs	Should take special precautions to have an adequate emergency food supply.
People with medical conditions	Should know the location and availability of more than one facility if dependent on a dialysis machine or other life-sustaining equipment or treatment.
People with mental retardation	May need help responding to emergencies and getting to a shelter.
People with dementia	Should be registered in the Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return Program

EMERGENCY RESOURCE KITS
WCICIL has a limited amount of kits now available. Call (217) 223 - 0400 for details.

If you or someone close to you has a disability or a special need, you may have to take additional steps to protect yourself and your family in an emergency.

A record number 124 tornadoes tore through Illinois in 2006. The Illinois Emergency Management Agency says most tornadoes hit between April and June.

Illinois also had a 5.2 - magnitude Earthquake on April 18th, 2008

If you have special needs: Find out about special assistance that may be available in your community. Register with the office of emergency services or the local fire department for assistance so needed help can be provided.

Check for hazards in the home
During and right after a disaster, ordinary items in the home can cause injury or damage. Anything that can move, fall, break or cause fire is a home hazard. Check for items such as bookcases, hanging pictures, or overhead lights that could fall in an earthquake or a flood and block an escape path.

Be ready to evacuate
Have a plan for getting out of your home or building (ask your family or friends for assistance, if necessary). Also, plan two evacuation routes because some roads may be closed or blocked in a disaster.

	Create a network of neighbors, relatives, friends, and coworkers to aid you in an emergency. Discuss your needs and make sure everyone knows how to operate necessary equipment.
	Discuss your needs with your employer.
	If you are mobility impaired and live or work in a high-rise building, have an escape chair.
	If you live in an apartment building, ask the management to mark accessible exits clearly and to make arrangements to help you leave the building.
	Keep specialized items ready, including extra wheelchair batteries, oxygen, catheters, medication, prescriptions, food for service animals, and any other items you might need.
	Be sure to make provisions for medications that require refrigeration.
	Keep a list of the type and model numbers of the medical devices you require.
	Wear medical alert tags or bracelets to identify your disability.
	Know the location and availability of more than one facility if you are dependent on a dialysis machine or other life-sustaining equipment or treatment.

IN THE NEWS

Winter Preparedness

BE INFORMED - MAKE A PLAN - MAKE A KIT

BUILD A KIT

A disaster supplies kit is simply a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.

Try to assemble your kit well in advance of an emergency. You may have to evacuate at a moment’s notice and take essentials with you. You will probably not have time to search for the supplies you need or shop for them.

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least 72 hours. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it might take days.

Additionally, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment and telephones may be cut off for days or even a week, or longer. Your supplies kit should contain items to help you manage during these outages.

- FEMA READY WEBSITE

For more additional info,
click here for DisabilityPreparedness.Gov

For more info about Midwest Earthquake Preparedness,
Simple Retrofitting Details for Improving Earthquake Resistance
of Older Masonry Buildings

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