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Resources Focused on People With Disabilities

  • People With Disabilities and Other Functional and Access Needs—This part of the SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series resource collection covers various aspects of preparedness, response, and recovery for people with disabilities and other functional and access needs. Items in the collection include articles, guides, and organizations.
  • Hidden Disabilities: Communication Tips for First Responders—This 8-minute training video recommends ways for first responders to communicate effectively with people with autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and traumatic brain injury. Although the video addresses communicating in non-disaster situations, it presents principles of effective communication that may be helpful in disasters. The video was developed by the Anchorage Police Department, Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education, and the University of Alaska Anchorage, as well as other agencies and organizations in Alaska.
  • Tips for First Responders, 5th Edition—This guide from the Center for Development and Disability at the University of New Mexico offers tips responders can use during emergencies and routine encounters to support and communicate with people with disabilities and other access and functional needs. Sections of the guide focus on older adults and on people with service animals, mobility impairments, autism, multiple chemical sensitivities, cognitive disabilities, and hearing or visual impairments. 
    The guide is available in Spanish: Tips for First Responders, 5th Edition - Spanish.
  • Tips for Providing Services for Individuals Living with Functional and Access Needs (PDF)—In this brochure, the Alabama Disability and Health Program provides tips for people serving disaster survivors with disabilities and other access and functional needs. Sections focus on assisting people with physical disabilities, people who are deaf or hard of hearing, people who have speech disabilities, people who are blind or who have low vision, and other populations.