Updated 01.10.26
About June: June Isaacson Kailes is a Disability Policy Consultant known for helping communities make transit evacuation real for people, especially people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. She focuses on operational details: defining responsibilities, closing plan gaps, strengthening procedures and training, and being honest with the public about limitations while promoting neighbor-to-neighbor support. This page features her current articles, podcasts, and tools on building and testing effective transit evacuation plans.
Learn more: About June, Emergency Experience, Contact
Evacuation Lessons From the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires
By June Kailes, December 10, 2025, Domestic Preparedness
People with disabilities face higher disaster deaths because planning failures turn hazards into disproportionate threats. The public should be ready to manage on their own for extended periods, and public entities need to plan for and be honest with people they cannot reach in an emergency. Even with solid local evacuation plans, everyone needs a personal plan that involves neighbors, friends, family, or colleagues. Includes article read out loud (18.37 minutes)
Making Transit Evacuation Real for All (Podcast 21 minutes) (2025)
Featuring June Kailes, who offers guidance on improving emergency transit evacuation plans, particularly for individuals with disabilities. Kailes emphasizes moving beyond vague language and theoretical plans towards clear, actionable, and measurable strategies. She stresses the importance of specific details in planning documents and contracts with community organizations, advocating for honest public communication regarding response limitations and the necessity of personal preparedness. The discussion highlights the failures of relying on emergency registries and promotes neighbor-to-neighbor support and realistic expectations during disasters. Ultimately, the material encourages a cycle of planning, testing, analysis, and revision to strengthen emergency response capabilities for disproportionally impacted populations. Resources and tools are mentioned to aid in assessing gaps and developing more effective evacuation strategies.
Transit Evacuation Plans for People with Disabilities: Key Integration Details (April 2025) A tool for people & teams responsible for developing, responding, maintaining, testing, & revising emergency transit evacuation services & their associated plans, annexes, processes, procedures, protocols, policies, job aids, field operation guides, & training. Use this tool
- for a realistic & honest assessment of gaps
- to collectively identify opportunities for improvement
- to identify individuals who have responsibility, authority, & resources to lead the effort on specific elements needing attention.
- problem-solve & track progress
Disability Emergency Personal Evacuation Transportation Planning (April 2025) Focuses on disability-related details of preparing for the many hazards that can involve leaving a disaster-affected area.