18 Mar 2024

Individuals with disabilities or those with other access

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Preparedness Matters

People with disabilities or other access and functional needs often need extra support during and after a public health emergency[]. Here are some ways to support everyone in the community.

  • Materials should be written with plain language so they can be easily understood.
  • Websites should be accessible to people who have trouble seeing or hearing.
  • Strategies for communicating in the languages used by people in the community should be used.
  • There should be multiple alert systems that can reach people in different ways.
  • Evacuation strategies should be flexible to account for people with different mobility needs[].

[EM8] Administration for Strategic Preparedness & Response (ASPR). (n.d.). Access and Functional Needs. https://aspr.hhs.gov/at-risk/Pages/afn_guidance.aspx

[EM9] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). Access and Functional Needs Toolkit: Integrating a Community Partner Network to Inform Risk Communication Strategies. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)