Individual Preparedness

Updated 01.10.26

Be Ready to Go: Evacuation Transportation Planning Tips for People with Access and Functional Needs (2010) 

Be Ready To Go: Disability-Specific Supplies For Emergency Kits(2010)

Be Real, Specific, and Current: Emergency Preparedness Information for People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs (pdf), Edition 1.0 (2016), General emergency preparedness information is important for everyone, but does not always apply equally to people with disabilities. These materials can be more inclusive when they include information focused on specific functional needs.  

Provides guidance, examples, and resources for promoting or creating these materials, and includes verifying the content:

• is developed in partnership with people who have lived experience with disability

• includes information that is useful and specific to people with limitations in hearing, vision, mobility, speech, and cognition (thinking, understanding, learning, remembering);
• describes disability in accurate and respectful ways and uses neutral terms that avoid offensive words which reflect negative attitudes and stereotypes;
• focuses on no-cost and low-cost preparedness in addition to costly activities;
• recognizes that not all people can afford to buy emergency supplies and equipment;
• is available in accessible and usable formats and gives users information on how to get these materials in other formats such as large print, audio, disks, or Braille; and
• uses resources that are clearly described and annotated with specific links to more resources. Be Real, Specific, and Current: Emergency Preparedness Information for People with Disabilities and Others with Access and Functional Needs (word)

Disability Emergency Personal Evacuation Transportation Planning (April 2025) 

Disability Specific Supplies Emergency Kits 2023, Edition 3.0, Checklist suggests emergency kit contents, including no-cost supplies, that you can tailor to your needs and abilities. Kits to consider for different places and situations: keep it with you, grab-and-go, home, bedside, and car. Specific suggestions are provided for hearing, speech, and communication and vision issues, as well as for wheelchair and scooter users, service animal owners, and people with allergies, chemical sensitivities, and breathing conditions. Disability Specific Supplies Emergency Kits 2023 (word)

Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility For Your Safety, A Guide For People with Disabilities and Other Activity Limitation (2002) develop plans that integrate people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs.

• create, review, and practice plans
• gather emergency health information
• evaluate your need to identify as someone who will need help during an evacuation
• practice the skill of giving quick information on how to best assist you
• establish personal support networks
• conduct an ability self-assessment
• know your emergency evacuation options

Emergency Health Information: Savvy Health Care Consumer Series (2011) guides you in developing emergency health information. Keep copies in your wallet (behind your driver’s license or ID card) and in emergency kits. This information provides rescuers with crucial details if you are unconscious or unable to communicate. It includes information about your medications, equipment, allergies, communication needs, preferred treatment, and health history.

Emergency Power Planning for People Who Use Electricity and Battery Dependent Assistive Technology and Devices (2019)
Emergency power planning checklist for people who use electricity and battery dependent technology and devices. Electricity and battery-dependent devices such as:

• breathing machines (respirators, ventilators),
• power wheelchairs and scooters, and
• oxygen, suction, or home dialysis equipment.

Some of this equipment is essential to your level of independence, while other equipment is vital to keeping you alive! This checklist can be used to make power-backup plans.
This document also contains:

• how to establish a support team,
• how to master the skill of giving quick information on how best to help you,
• advice from users, and
• sources for more information.

Emergency Preparedness for Personal Assistant Services (PAS) Users, Edition 2.0, (2016) contains tips for individuals who use personal assistants, attendants or caregivers. Planning elements include a checklist, support teams, communication, evacuating and sheltering, supplies, and more how-to details. Emergency Preparedness for Personal Assistant Services (PAS) Users, Edition 2.0 (word)

Emergency Preparedness: Taking Responsibility for Your Safety – Tips for People with Activity Limitations and Disabilities (2006)

Emergency Travel Safety Tips for Overnight Stays (Word), Edition 1 – October 2017 – Tips for everyone. [*] Items are specifically for people with disabilities who, because of various disabilities (mobility, breathing, allergies, hearing, seeing, walking, understanding, or chronic conditions), may have difficulty or be unable to: use stairwells, hear alarms, see or read exit signs, and understand instructions. Safety tips include: check-in, personal support in your guest room, other safety tips, and more resources.

Map Your Neighborhood | Washington State Military Department, Citizens Serving Citizens with Pride & Tradition. Neighborhoods prepared for emergencies and disasters save lives and lessen injuries, trauma, and property damage. The Map Your Neighborhood program guides you and your neighbors through steps to improve your preparedness. These steps help you quickly and safely reduce damage and protect lives. It enhances disaster readiness at the neighborhood level, covering 15-20 homes or a defined area you can survey in 1 hour. It teaches neighbors to depend on each other during the hours or days before fire, medical, police, or utility responders arrive.

Out-of-town emergency contacts listed in priority order (first person reached calls others on this list)(Word) (2015)

Tips for Emergency Use of Mobile Devices Edition 2, (2015)- Cell phones and other mobile devices like tablets are a big part of our lives. You rarely leave home without them, and we often store important information on them. In emergencies and disasters, they can be a lifeline for communication. Provides details on preparing your device to quickly get and share emergency information, including a checklist, emergency contacts and documents, alerts, texting, apps, bookmarks of important mobile sites, “no service” backup plans, skill drills, and other resources.