Local Risks · Household Situation
Standard emergency plans assume a lot. They assume you can walk to a car, carry a bag, stand in a line at a shelter. If any of those assumptions are wrong for your household, you need a different plan. This guide builds it.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for anyone whose mobility affects what they can do in the first minutes and hours of an emergency. That's a wider group than most people realize.
A standard emergency plan may work as written for someone with a mild temporary injury. It will not work unmodified for someone who uses a wheelchair, a walker, a power scooter, or who has significant difficulty with stairs, sustained walking, or carrying weight. The planning ahead of time is what bridges that gap.
Manual and power wheelchairs each present different considerations. Power chairs add battery dependency. Both require accessible routes that stairs interrupt.
People who walk but cannot cover distance quickly, manage uneven terrain, or carry weight. This includes many recovery situations and chronic pain conditions.
Requires hands-on assistance from another person to relocate. The support network is not a nice-to-have. It is the plan.
Post-surgical recovery, pregnancy complications, or temporary conditions that change the calculus for six months or two years. Plan for the body you have now, not the one from last year.
Preparation beyond the basics
The universal pillars on the first 72 hours page still apply. These four areas go on top of them.
01
The question to answer now: how does this household get out of the building and into a vehicle if the elevator is down and there's a fire in the stairwell?
02
Most general population shelters are not designed for people with significant mobility needs. Finding out before an emergency is the entire goal.
03
Power dependency is one of the most under-planned aspects of mobility-related emergency prep. A power outage is more than a nuisance if it affects a power wheelchair, a CPAP, a hospital bed, or a stair lift.
04
Standard emergency communication assumes you can shout, speak clearly on a phone, or knock on a door. Consider what works when those options are limited.
The support network
For households with mobility limitations, the support network is not a backup plan. It is the plan. Three to five people who know your situation, know your needs, and know what to do.
The conversation is uncomfortable to initiate. It is far less uncomfortable than needing help during an emergency and not having anyone who knows you need it. Have it now.
One person outside your household has a key to your home. They know your standard routine well enough to recognize when something is wrong. They can reach you within 20 minutes.
Someone whose vehicle can accommodate you and your equipment. They know the route, the destination, and what to bring. If your wheelchair requires a ramp-equipped vehicle, this person has access to one, or you've identified a backup (accessible taxi, paratransit emergency line).
If you live above the ground floor, identify one or two people who are physically able to assist you down the stairs and who know how to operate an evacuation chair if you have one. Your neighbors are the most likely option. The conversation is easier than it sounds: "I want to make sure we both know what to do if there's a fire and the elevator is out."
One person knows where your medications are kept, what they are, and what the dosing schedule looks like. This matters most if you are ever separated from your household during an event or incapacitated for any reason.
During-event protocol
These steps assume an emergency that requires evacuation. Shelter-in-place events follow a simpler version of the same sequence.
Send a text to your key holder and evacuation driver before doing anything else. Do not wait until you have assessed the situation fully. A false alarm is fine. A delayed call is not.
The ready bag should already contain a three-day medication supply, your medical ID card, and a printed contact list. Verify medications are in the bag. Do not spend more than two minutes locating additional items.
If you have warning time (storm approaching, not immediate fire), put your power wheelchair, AAC device, phone, and portable power station on charge before you need to move. Even thirty minutes matters.
If you use stairs with assistance, confirm your stairs helper is coming and knows to bring the evacuation chair. If the elevator is operational, use it. If it is not, wait at the Area of Refuge with the door propped open and call 911 to report your location — do not attempt stairs alone in a power chair.
Call 911 and provide your exact unit or location. State that you have a mobility limitation and are waiting for assistance. Stay on the line. Give your exact location again when they ask. If voice is difficult, text 911 — most counties now support it.
Once you have evacuated, text your out-of-area contact with your location. Check in again when you arrive at your destination. Your network should know whether to expect you and when.
Recovery considerations
Recovery is where plans often unravel. The acute phase is over. The support infrastructure is not yet back in place.
Do not assume power is restored when it is restored to your neighborhood. Confirm your specific building or unit has power before returning. If you are on the utility's medical baseline registry, check on your priority status by calling the utility directly.
After a flood, earthquake, or structural event, accessible features of your home may be damaged. Confirm that ramps, grab bars, stair lifts, and accessible bathroom fixtures are intact before relying on them. Contact your local ADA Center if you need guidance on accessible temporary housing options.
If your regular pharmacy is closed or inaccessible, contact your insurer's emergency line. Most major insurers have a disaster protocol that allows emergency fills at out-of-network locations. The FEMA Disaster Pharmacy Assistance program can also help after federally declared disasters.
Document any damaged mobility equipment immediately with photos. Contact your equipment supplier before returning it for service. FEMA assistance may cover mobility equipment replacement after a declared disaster. Your state's assistive technology program may also have emergency loan programs.
If you rely on a home health aide, personal care attendant, or caregiver, have a backup contact for that role now. Disasters affect caregivers' own households. Know who you call if your primary caregiver cannot get to you during or after an event.
Keep a waterproof pouch with copies of prescriptions, equipment serial numbers and insurer contact information, your physician's contact, and your insurance cards. This pouch goes in the ready bag. FEMA and insurance claims both move faster when you arrive with documentation.
Local resources
These are starting points. Your county emergency management office is the most important call. They know what programs and shelters exist in your specific area.
FEMA's disability and access and functional needs guidance. Includes how to register for disaster assistance and what programs may apply.
ready.gov/disability →
Find open Red Cross shelters in your area. Call the shelter in advance to ask about accessibility accommodations before arriving.
redcross.org →
The National Rehabilitation Information Center provides resources on assistive technology, equipment programs, and accessibility services by state.
naric.com →
Ten regional ADA Centers provide free information on accessible emergency housing, shelter requirements, and disability rights during disasters. Find your regional center here.
adata.org →
Every state has an Assistive Technology program that may have emergency equipment loans. If your wheelchair or AAC device is damaged in a disaster, this is the first call to make.
ataporg.org →
Search "[your county] emergency management" to find your local office. Ask specifically about Special Needs Shelter registration and functional needs support teams. This is the most important call on this list.
Search your county name + "emergency management"
The ready bag
The standard 72-hour kit applies. These additions are specific to mobility-limited households.
Keep the ready bag in a location you can reach from your normal position. It should not require standing, reaching overhead, or going to a second room to retrieve.
Keep going
This guide adds to the standard plan. It does not replace it. If your household's 72-hour kit is not yet in place, that's the starting point.