People with Disabilities

For Old and People with Disabilities: 

• Create a support network to help in an emergency. 

• Tell these people where you keep your emergency supplies. 

• Give one member of your support network a key to your house or apartment. 

• Contact your city or county government's emergency information management office. Many local offices keep lists of people with disabilities so they can be located quickly in a sudden emergency. 
• Wear medical alert tags or bracelets to help identify your disability.
   
• If you are dependent on dialysis or other life sustaining treatment, know the location and availability of more than one facility.
   
• Show others how to operate your wheelchair.
   
• Know the size and weight of your wheelchair, in addition to whether or not it is collapsible, in case it has to be transported.
  
   
• Encourage electronic payments for federal benefit recipients. Keep in mind a disaster can disrupt mail service for days or even weeks. For those who depend on the mail for their Social Security benefits, a difficult situation can become worse if they are evacuated or lose their mail service – as 85,000 check recipients learned after Hurricane Katrina. Switching to electronic payments is one simple, significant way people can protect themselves financially before disaster strikes. It also eliminates the risk of stolen checks.

Additional Supplies for People with Disabilities:

• Prescription medicines, list of medications including dosage, list of any allergies.
   
• Extra eyeglasses and hearing-aid batteries.
   
• Extra wheelchair batteries, oxygen.
   
• Keep a list of the style and serial number of medical devices.
   
• Medical insurance and Medicare cards.
   
• List of doctors, relatives or friends who should be notified if you are hurt.