Emergency Preparedness: Tips

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Watch Preparedness Tips for People with Disabilities with Holly Ridgeway

Watch Building an Emergency Preparedness Kit with Coby Livingstone

Watch Safety and Preparedness Tips in American Sign Language with Roger Robb

Watch Descriptive Video on Preparedness Tips for People with Disabilities with Holly Ridgeway

Watch Descriptive Video on Building an Emergency Preparedness Kit with Coby Livingstone

Having a plan is important in times of emergency and this includes building an emergency preparedness kit before a disaster. Your preparedness kit should always include basic items such as water, nonperishable food, clothing, blankets, a first aid kit, medications, medical insurance cards, and emergency contact information. Be sure to include enough supplies to last at least three days and keep your items in easy to carry containers such as a plastic bin or duffel bag.

Don't forget about your pets! Be sure to keep extra food and water for them as well as any other supplies they might need such as boots if they need to walk through debris. If you have children, consider keeping activities such as books or games in your kit. Keep an emergency kit in your car as well with essentials such as jumper cables, a gas can, blankets, a paper map, car cell phone charger, and an ice scraper in case you are stranded.

People with disabilities tend to be the least prepared for an emergency. As you're getting prepared, do a personal assessment. What will you need to survive in case of a disaster?

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, consider how you will communicate without an interpreter. Include paper and pen in your preparedness kit as well as extra batteries for hearing aids and TTY.

If you are blind or visually impaired and use a service animal, what will you do if you are separated from your service animal? Practice your emergency plan using other assistive devices. Label the items in your kit using Braille and keep an extra cane in your kit.

If you have a mobility disability and use a power wheelchair, have a lightweight manual wheelchair as a backup if possible. Have a backup battery for your wheelchair and keep it on a trickle charge at all times. You can also keep a cane or walker in your kit if possible.

This is not a complete list, and your preparedness kit is customizable. Be sure to include what is important to you and remember that what you need in the event of a disaster may be different from someone else. For more information and ideas for preparedness kits, visit www.ready.gov.