What to know
- Presentation Day/Time: Tuesday, April 22, 3:15–4:40 pm
- Presenter: Twyla Perryman, PhD, MA, EIS officer assigned to the National Center for Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Division of Human Development and Disability
What did we do?
- People with disabilities (i.e., difficulty with hearing, seeing, mobility, cognition, independent living, or self-care) are at a higher risk of injury or death during natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, tornadoes). We compared emergency preparedness behaviors among a representative sample of US adults with and without disabilities to identify opportunities for intervention.
What did we find?
- Adults with disabilities had a higher prevalence of experiencing at least one natural disaster (80%) compared to those without disabilities (70%) and equal prevalence of having one of the listed emergency plans (48% vs. 46%).
- Adults with disabilities had higher prevalences of having nowhere to go (26% vs. 15%) and concerns about costs during an evacuation (20% vs. 14%) compared to adults without disabilities.
Why does it matter?
- More adults with disabilities experienced disasters and barriers to evacuation, potentially because of social/structural factors. Yet, many adults report a low percentage of having an emergency plan across the recommend types; this is particularly concerning for people with disabilities who may have additional planning needs.
- Accessible emergency planning and response communications, programs, and services may help ensure people with disabilities receive the necessary information and support to prevent injury and death.
***This presentation has updated data that will be shared at the EIS Conference.
Abstract Category: Emergency Preparedness