From natural disasters to pandemics to wars, people with disabilities are disproportionally impacted by mass catastrophic emergencies.

Smiling woman in a wheelchair with a child by her side, both wearing casual clothes, in an indoor setting.
Film crew setting up a scene with actors in wheelchairs, using filming equipment like a camera and boom mic in a living room.
A young boy with a backpack holding a door handle, looking back at silhouetted figures in a dimly lit room.

Did you know…

  • 1 of 6 people globally live with a disability. (Source: WHO)

  • Disabled people are 2–4x more likely to die or be injured in disasters. (Source: UN)

  • Disabled people are more likely to be left behind or abandoned during evacuation in disasters and conflicts due to a lack of preparation and planning, as well as inaccessible facilities and services and transportation systems. (Source: UN)

  • When evacuated from a disaster, most people with a disability never return home. (Source: US Census Bureau)

WHAT YOU CAN DO

  • Watch & Share Emergency Plan to extend the conversation beyond limited news coverage immediately after a disaster strikes.

  • Make your own emergency plan. Download an emergency preparedness planning guide created for people with disabilities (credit: June Kailes).

  • Donate to The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, a non-profit dedicated to helping people with disabilities during and after disasters and emergencies in the US and around the world.

  • Visit the World Institute on Disability for more resources for inclusive emergency and disaster planning, preparedness, and response.

  • Contact your elected officials to protect 504 and demand legislation that supports the rights and safety of people with disabilities living in the community.

Two people sitting in a dimly lit room, illuminated by a screen. One is a woman in a hoodie, the other is a man in a dark jacket. Both use wheelchairs. Plants and a table are visible in the background.

Color for Disability Rights.

Get Riley’s coloring page courtesy of our friends at @inclusivedinos and support the #50for504 campaign.

Disability and disaster Hotline

If you are a member of the disability community and need help during or after a disaster, The Partnership for Inclusive Strategies has a hotline that can help.

                     Call/Text: +1 (800) 626-4959
Email: hotline@disasterstrategies.org