Recap: Accessible disaster planning

An Overview of the April 2026 Understanding Ableism Webinar: “Emergency Preparedness”

By Sara Marshall, AmeriCorps KCDC Coordinator

(Watch the webinar here on our YouTube channel.)

In April, we explored emergency preparedness through a disability lens, examining how preparedness is defined, experienced and implemented across different contexts. While emergency planning is often framed as a universal process, the discussion highlighted how disability significantly shapes both individual and collective experiences of preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies. 

Most emergency preparedness systems are designed at a broad, institutional level, emphasizing efficiency, coordination and standardization. However, these approaches don’t always account for the diverse and complex access needs of disabled individuals. For many people with disabilities, preparedness is not just about having a plan in place, but about navigating systems that may not be built to support them. This can require additional planning, advocacy and reliance on personal networks in ways that are often overlooked in traditional models of emergency response. 

The webinar invited participants to reconsider what preparedness means, asking not only how individuals prepare for emergencies, but how systems can better reflect the realities of those most impacted by inaccessibility. 

Background on Panelists

Jim House is the Disability/AFN Integration Manager with the Coalition on Inclusive Emergency Planning (CIEP), a program under the Washington Statewide Independent Living Council. With over a decade of experience in the field, his work focuses on advancing accessibility and addressing functional needs within emergency planning and response. House emphasized the importance of ensuring that emergency systems are equipped to support individuals with a wide range of disabilities, highlighting the need for intentional approaches to accessibility in both preparation and response efforts. 

Cindi Barker is involved with Seattle Emergency Hubs, a community-led network that establishes neighborhood-based sites where individuals can gather and support one another following a disaster. Her work centers on fostering community resilience and promoting preparedness at the local level. Barker highlighted the importance of continued learning and collaboration in building more inclusive and effective emergency response systems. 

Tia Bellew is an AmeriCorps member serving as the Emergency Management Educator at Disability Empowerment Center. In this role, she contributes to the development of inclusive emergency planning strategies, drawing on both her current work and previous experience with FEMA through an interagency partnership. As an early-career emergency manager, Bellew emphasized the importance of a “whole community” approach, recognizing that effective emergency response must account for linguistic, cultural and accessibility barriers in order to support all individuals within a community. 

Key Takeaways

Throughout the discussion, panelists emphasized that emergency preparedness is not a one-size-fits-all process. Disability shapes how individuals prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies, often requiring more extensive planning and coordination. Considerations such as mobility, communication access, medical needs and reliance on support networks are central to preparedness for many disabled individuals, yet are not always fully integrated into traditional emergency planning frameworks. While large-scale coordination is essential during emergencies, panelists noted that standardized approaches can overlook the need for flexibility and responsiveness. Without the ability to adapt to individual circumstances, these systems risk reinforcing existing barriers rather than addressing them. 

Panelists also highlighted persistent gaps in emergency planning, including inaccessible communication methods, limited coordination across agencies and a lack of comprehensive inclusion of disability perspectives. These gaps can create additional risks during emergencies, particularly for individuals who rely on specific accommodations or supports that may not be accounted for in crisis situations. 

The conversation also emphasized the potential of universal design as a framework for improving emergency preparedness. By designing systems, communication strategies and environments to be accessible from the outset, emergency planning can better serve a wider range of individuals without relying solely on reactive accommodations. Universal design was discussed not only as a tool for accessibility, but as a way to strengthen overall community resilience and ensure more equitable outcomes during emergencies. 

Across the discussion, panelists consistently underscored the importance of centering lived experience. While policies and systems provide structure, they cannot fully capture the realities of navigating emergencies with a disability. Meaningful preparedness requires engaging directly with disabled individuals, recognizing their expertise and incorporating their perspectives into the design and implementation of emergency planning efforts.