Updated 07.18.26
June Isaacson Kailes, MSW, helps governments, communities, agencies, and organizations build inclusive emergency management and disability-competent services that work in real life. June is known for CMIST, FAST, and moving the emergency field beyond ‘special needs’ registries.
Her work focuses on actionable practices: practical planning, training, and implementation that move beyond check-the-box compliance. June works with cross-sector partners (emergency management, health, public health, transportation, housing, education, and community-based organizations) to strengthen trust, access, and impact for people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.
This site features tools, frameworks, and field-tested resources, including planning guides, training materials, checklists, and policy briefs designed for use by decision-makers, planners, responders, advocates, and community members. Contact
Services:
- Inclusive emergency planning
- Training and technical assistance on disability competencies
- Policy guidance, public engagement, and accessible risk communication
- Review of plans/products for usability, accessibility, and implementation readiness
As seen in / Referenced in (selected)
Third-party coverage and citations where June Kailes’ work is referenced. Who this is for: emergency management, public health, healthcare preparedness, disability-led and community-based organizations, planners, trainers, and researchers looking for practical access and functional needs resources and implementation guidance.
- LAist, National Public Radio (NPR), (2025) — Despite three 911 calls, two homebound disabled men died in the Eaton Fire waiting for rescue
- LAist / Imperfect Paradise, NPR (2025) — Despite three 911 calls, how did two men with disabilities die in their home during the Eaton Fire?
- Domestic Preparedness (2025) — Evacuation Lessons From the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires
- Domestic Preparedness (2024) — Article Out Loud: Return on Investments in Public Engagement
- ASPR TRACIE (2026) — Populations with Access and Functional Needs (resource library)
- Cal OES (2026) — AFN Library
- Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment (2026) — Assisting Persons with Access and Functional Needs in an Emergency
- Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, 2026, See Blogs (10) and useful information
- Pierce County, WA (2025) — AFN Summit Resources (PDF)
- United Nations for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), PreventionWeb — Southern California Wildfires After Action Report (listing), and 29 other citations
Popular workshops and presentations
- Be Real, Specific, and Current: Emergency Preparedness Information for People with Disabilities
- Beyond Emergency Registries for People with Disabilities, What Works
- Beyond the Rhetoric – Making it Real – Rapid Emergency Response Planning for Disability Organizations
- Building and Sustaining Effective Emergency Community Response Partnerships with Disability Service Community Providers And Advocates
- Community Engagement – Measuring Impact and Understanding, Detecting, and Avoiding Tokenism
- Integrating People with Disabilities in Emergency Drills and Exercises
- Moving Beyond Etiquette to Actionable Practice Competencies
- Strengthening Transit Evacuation Plans – Help Me Get Out of Here
- The Inconvenient Truth About Disability (special needs) Registries
- The Intent Behind the Term Access and Functional Needs
- The Roles of Health Plans Serving People with Disabilities in Emergency Planning, Response, and Recovery
- Trust Is More Than a Feeling; It Is the Impact of Good Design, Strengthening Trust Through Messaging
More about June
June Isaacson Kailes owns a disability policy consulting practice and is a pioneer, leader, and innovator in health care, emergency management, aging with disability, stakeholder engagement, and hospitality. She is respected as a writer, trainer, researcher, policy analyst, subject matter expert, and advocate. The breadth and depth of her experience in disability, accessibility, and functional needs issues are widely recognized.
June concentrates on replacing the ambiguous aspects of disability etiquette, sensitivity, awareness, and legal compliance with maximum impact practices and measurable skill sets. June works with clients to build critical disability competencies and capabilities. She translates the laws and regulations into clear, actionable, detailed, and sustainable building blocks and tools that close service gaps, prevent civil rights violations, and remove barriers, inequities, and disparities. June uses the “how, who, what, where, when, and why, to get physical, programmatic, communication, and equipment access right!
June has the unique ability to blend and bridge two worlds: disability user experiences with health and emergency services experiences. Her clients include local, state, federal, and international governments, disability-led, disability-focused, community-based organizations, emergency management and health care consultants, health facilities (plans, clinics, medical centers, systems), legal services, colleges and universities, accrediting organizations, research and training centers, and grant makers. June is the recipient of many honors and awards, has delivered hundreds of keynote addresses, workshops, and seminars, and has over 200 publications. Contact