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People with a Disability - Special Needs

Tips| Mobility | Related Links

Tips

  • Make sure all your emergency kit items are organized in one place, easy to find and to carry.
  • Tag all of your special needs equipment including instructions on how to use and - or move each assistive device during an emergency.
  • Complete a checklist and personal assessment sheet and provide a copy to your designated network(s). Keep a copy in your emergency kit(s).
  • If you have food - drug allergies, wear a MedicAlert® bracelet.
  • List all food - drug allergies and current medications (for each medication, specify the medical condition being treated, the generic name, dosage, frequency, and the name and contact information of the prescribing physician). Provide this list to your designated network and keep a copy in your emergency kit(s).
  • If you rely on any life sustaining equipment or if you require regular attendant care, ask your network to check on you immediately if an emergency occurs and have an emergency backup plan in the event of a power outage.
  • During an emergency, if your support network is unable to help, ask others for help and inform them of your special needs and how they can assist you.
  • Carry a personal alarm that emits a loud noise to draw attention.
  • Be aware that experiencing an emergency can be overwhelming and stress can worsen some medical 
    conditions.

Assisting People with a Disability - Special Needs – Tips

  • Ask if the person wants your help, and how you may best assist them.
  • If someone refuses your help, wait for first responders to arrive, unless it is a matter of life or death.
  • Do not touch the person, their service animal or equipment without their permission, unless it is a matter of life or death.
  • Follow instructions posted on special needs equipment.
  • You may be asked to use latex-free gloves to reduce the spread of viral infection or to prevent an allergic reaction to latex.
  • Ask the person if areas of their body have reduced sensation and if they want you to check those areas for injuries.
  • Do not try to move someone unless you are trained in proper techniques.
  • If a person is unconscious or unresponsive do not administer any liquids or food.
  • If the person has a service animal, it is the animal owner's responsibility to assess whether or not it is safe for the animal to work through the emergency situation.
  • To make this decision, the service animal owner will need information as to the nature of the hazards they are expected to face and any changes to the physical environment.
  • If providing sighted assistance, the first responder or caregiver should confirm that the service animal is then not working, and is therefore off duty.

Mobility

Mobility limitations may make it difficult for a person to use stairs or to move quickly over long distances. Limitations may include reliance on mobility equipment such as a wheelchair, walker, crutches or a walking cane. People with a heart condition or respiratory difficulties may also have limited mobility.

Your emergency plan

  • If you use a wheelchair or scooter, request that an emergency evacuation chair be stored near a stairwell on the same floor where you work or live, so that your network can readily access it to help you evacuate. The person with the disability should be involved in the selection of the evacuation chair.
  • People who require the use of an evacuation chair should designate a primary and backup contact to assist them in the event of an evacuation. Create an evacuation plan in collaboration with the building manager and contact persons, and practice using the chair with them.
  • In your personal assessment checklist, identify areas of your body that have reduced sensation so that these areas can be checked for injuries after an emergency, if you cannot do so yourself.
  • Check with your local municipal office to find out if emergency shelters in your area are wheelchair accessible.

Recommended additional items checklist

  • Tire patch kit
  • Can of seal-in-air product (to repair flat tires on your wheelchair or scooter)
  • Supply of inner tubes
  • Pair of heavy gloves (to protect your hands while wheeling over glass or other sharp debris)
  • Latex-free gloves (for anyone providing personal care to you)
  • Spare deep-cycle battery for a motorized wheelchair or scooter
  • A lightweight, manual wheelchair as a backup to a motorized wheelchair (if feasible)
  • Spare catheters (if applicable)
  • Your power outage backup plan
  • Other: _____________________________________

Assisting a person with a mobility disability – what to do

  • If possible, use latex-free gloves when providing personal care.
  • Try to ensure that the person's wheelchair is transported with the person.
  • If this is not possible, employ other evacuation techniques as appropriate, such as use of the evacuation chair, shelter-in-place (if instructed to do so), or lifts and carries by trained personnel.
  • Do not push or pull a person's wheelchair without their permission, unless it is a matter of life or death.

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