People with disabilities may need to take additional steps to prepare for disaster. If you are disabled or know someone who is, the following precautions should be taken.

• Ask about special assistance that may be available to you in an emergency. Many communities ask people with disabilities to register, usually with the fire department or emergency management office, so needed help can be provided quickly in an emergency.
• If you currently use a personal care attendant obtained from an agency, check to see if the agency has special provisions for emergencies (e.g. providing services at another location should an evacuation be ordered).
• Determine what you will need to do for each type of emergency. For example, most people head for a basement when there is a tornado warning, but most basements are not wheelchair accessible. Determine in advance what your alternative shelter will be and how you will get there.
• Learn what to do in case of power outages and personal injuries. Know how to connect or start a back-up power supply for essential medical equipment.
• If you or someone in your household uses a wheelchair, make more than one exit from your home wheelchair accessible in case the primary exit is blocked.
• Consider getting a medic alert system that will allow you to call for help if you are immobilized in an emergency.
• Store back-up equipment, such as a manual wheelchair, at a neighbor's home, school or your workplace.
• Avoid possible hazards by fastening shelves to the wall and placing large, heavy objects on the lower shelves or near the wall. Also hang pictures or mirrors away from beds. Bolt large pictures or mirrors to the wall. Secure water heaters by strapping them to a nearby wall.

Special Preparations for the Hearing Impaired

Deaf or hearing impaired individuals will have a more difficult time communicating after a disaster. People may not realize you can't hear warning signals and instructions, and may leave you behind. If there is a power failure, your teletypewriter will be useless, and communicating in the dark will require a flashlight.

To avoid potential problems you should:

• Make sure you have a flashlight, pad and pencil by your bed at home.
• Ask a neighbor to be your source of information as it comes over the radio.
• Remind co-workers that you can't hear an evacuation order.
• If you are trapped in a room, knock on the door or hit objects together to let others know you are there.

Special Preparations for the Visually Impaired

Blind or visually impaired individuals will have a difficult time after a disaster if surroundings have been greatly disrupted. In addition, seeing eye dogs may be too frightened or injured to be reliable.

Have an extra cane at home and work, even if you have a seeing eye dog. If you are trapped, make noise to alert others. Also keep in mind that, if electricity fails, blind people can assist sighted people and potentially save lives.