• Emergency Managers, Responders, Service & Care Providers
• Emergency Managers & First Responders
• Service & Care Providers
• Transportation & Emergencies
• Disability Law: Know your Responsibilities

Medical Professionals

Medical professionals are among the first responders to an emergency. They are also people who come into close and personal contact with persons with disabilities almost every day, long before an emergency comes along. Medical professionals can use this contact to reinforce the importance of emergency preparedness for persons with disabilities. For example, doctors and nurses can ask about a personal preparedness plan and give assistance in areas such as maintaining a safe supply of a person’s medications, and make sure the persons with a disability has the necessary background medical and treatment information in their plan. Also, an occupational therapist can include emergency preparedness planning in a treatment plan. Or, a physical therapist can assist the person with a disability, and their family, to understand the different and best ways to prepare for and respond to various kinds of emergencies.

The following web sites provide resources to medical providers:

• Communicating with People with Hearing Impairments in Hospital Settings U.S. Department of Justice’s guide for medical providers on how to communicate with persons with hearing disabilities.
• Evacuation Preparedness Guide
  Center for Disability Issues in Health Professions' guide on accessible emergency preparedness.
• Tips for Primary Care Physicians: Talking with Your Patients about Their Mental Health During Times of War
  National Mental Health Association's guide for medical professionals on talking with patients during war times.
• Tips for Collecting Emergency Documents
  American Red Cross' guide on emergency documents.
• Tips for Creating an Emergency Medical Card
  American Red Cross' guide on emergency medical cards.
• Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility for Your Safety
  Center for Disabilities in Health Profession's guide on accessible emergency evacuation preparedness.