Emergency preparedness is important for everyone, but having a disability makes planning even more important.
Storms, wildfires, and other state or regional emergencies can shut down power and communication systems, make travel difficult, stop health and disability services, and create uncertainty about when it is best to stay home, and when moving to designated help centers makes sense.
We created a guide to help people with disabilities in Vermont make checklists, plans, and communications around staying safe in an emergency.
It's called the Green Mountain Emergency Preparedness Guide (.pdf)
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July 2022 Updates
A new version of the guide is now available in .pdf format, featuring a page on service animals, and how you may need to consider them during an emergency.Thank you to Hannah Gallivan, of Bristol VT, for her work on this vital topic.
Additional resources:
- Vermont Emergency Management
- Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities
- Disaster Resources for People with Disabilities and Emergency Managers
- Emergency Preparedness Initiative (EPI), National Organization on Disability
- Disaster Mental Health Primer: Key Principles, Issues and Questions
- Children, Stress, and Natural Disasters: A Guide for Teachers
- AAC-RERC: Spread the Word, Disaster Preparedness
Funding
This project is supported in part by grant number 90DDUC0062, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.
