Disaster Tips for People with Mobility Disabilities

the following information will assist people with mobility disabilities and will help them make them more confident when disaster strikes

Storage

• Store emergency supplies in a pack or backpack attached to a walker, wheelchair, scooter etc
• Store needed mobility aids (canes, crutches, walkers, wheel chairs) close to you in a consistent, convinient and secured location. Keep extra aids in several locations

Emergency Supply Kit

• Keep a pair of heavy gloves in your supply kit to use while wheeling or making your way over glass or debris
• If you use a motorized wheelchair or scooter, consider having an extra battery available. A car battery can be substituted for a wheelchair battery, but this type of battery will not last as long as wheelchair's deep-cycle battery. Check with your vendor to see if you will be able to charge batteries by either connecting jumper cables to a vehicle battery or by connecting batteries to a specific type of converter that plugs into your vehicle's cigaretter lighter in the event of loss of electricity
• If your chair does not have puncture-proof tires, keep a patch kit or can of "seal-in-air-product" to repair flat tires, or keep an extra supply of inner tubes
• Store light weight maual wheelchair, if available
• Arrange and secure furniture and other items to provide paths of travel and barrier-free passages
• If you spend time above the first floor of a building with and elevator, plan and practise using alternative methods of evacuation. If needed, enlist the help of your personal support network
• If you can not use stairs, discuss lifting and carrying techniques that will work for you. There will be instances where wheelchair users will have to leave their chairs behind in order to safely evacuate a structure
• Sometimes transporting someone downstairs is not a practical solution unless there are atleast two people to control the chair. Therefore, it is very important to discuss the safest way to transport you if you need to be carried, and atlert them to any areas of vulnerability. For example, the traditional "Fire-Fighters carry" may be hazardous for some people with respiratory weakness
  

Disaster Tips for People with Medical Needs

In a disaster, people with special medical needs have extra concerns. This information will help you and your family prepare for a disaster

Medications

• Always maintain at least a three day supply of all your medications
• Store your medications in one location in their original containers
• Maintain a list of all your medications: name of medication, does, frequency, and the name of prescribing doctor

Medical Supplies

• Keep an extra three-day supply of any medical supplies you use, such as bandages, ostomy bags or syringes

Electrically powered medical equipment

• For all medical equipment requiring electrical power- beds, breathing equipment, or infusion pumps - check with your medical supply company and get information regarding a back-up power source, such as a battery or generator

Oxygen and breathing equipment

• If you use oxygen, maintain an emergency supply (enough for atleast three day period)
• Oxygen tanks should be securely braced so they do not fall over. Call your medical supply company regarding bracing instructions
• If you use breathing equipment, keep a three day supply or more of tubing, solutions, medications etc

Intravenous (IV) and feeding tube equipment

• Know if your infusion pump has battery backup and how long it would last in an emergency
• Ask your home care provider about manual infusion techniques in case of power outage
• Attach written operating instructions to all equipment

Emergency Bag

• In the event that you have to leave your home, keep a bag packed at all times that contacin

1. A medications list
2. Medical Supplies for at least three days
3. Copies of vital medical papers such as insurance cards, power of attorney, etc, in a waterproof bag

People who can help

• An important part of being prepared for a disaster is planning with family, friends and neighbours. Know who could walk to your home to assist you if other means of transportation are unavailable
• Discuss your disaster plans with your home health care provider
• Ask your local fire department if they keep a list of people with special needs; ask to be included if they do maintain a list
• Keep a list of people who can help and their phone numbers
  

Disaster Tips for the Hearing Impaired

This checklist will assist people who are deaf or hearing impaired in being prepared when disaster strikes

Hearing Aids

• Store Hearing Aids in a strategic consistent and secured location so they can be found and used after a disaster. For example, consider storing them in a container by your bedside. Attach the container to a nightstand or bedpost using a Velcro. Missing or damaged hearing aids will be difficult to replace or fix immediately after a major disaster

Batteries

• Store extra batteries for hearing aids and implants. If available, store and extra hearing aid with your emergency supplies
• Maintain TTY batteries. Consult your manual for information
• Store extra batteries for your TTY and light phone signaler. Check the owner's manual for proper battery maintenance

Communication

• Determine how you will communicate with emergency personnel if there is no interpreter or if you don't have your hearing aids. Store paper and pens for this purpose
• Consider carrying a per-printed copy of the important messages with you such as "I Speak ASL (American Sign Language) and need an ASL interpreter" "I do not write or read english" and "If you mae announcements, I will need to have them written or signed
• If possible, obtain a battery-operated television that has a decoder chip for access to signed or captioned emergency reports.
• Determine which broadcasting systems will be accessible for news that will be captioned and /or signed

Alarms

• Install both audible alarms and visual smole alarms. At least one should be battery operated

Disaster Tips for People with Visual Disabilities

The more you prepare for hurricanes or other disasters, the more you will be able to protect yourself, your family and your belongings

Canes

• If you use canes, keep extras in strategic, consistent and secured locations at work, home, school, volunteer site etc., to help you maneuver around obstacles and hazards
• Keep a spare cane in your emergency kit

Alternate mobility cues

• If you have some vision, place security lights in each room to light paths of travel. These lights plug into electric wall outlets and light up automatically if there is a loss of power. They will, depending on type, continue to operate automatically for 1 to 6 hours and can be turned off manually and used as a short-lasting falshlight
• Store high powered flashlights with wide beams and extra batteries
• Plan for loss of auditory clues you usually rely on after a major disaster

Label Supplies

• If helpful, mark emergency supplies with large print, fluorescent tape or Braille

Secure Computers

• Anchor special equipment and large pieces of furniture, such as computers and shelving. Create a computer back-up system for important data an store it off site