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Special Assistance for North Carolina Residents With Disabilities

North Carolina wants to help all citizens prepare for a disaster. For those with special needs such as limited vision, mobility problems, or issues related to hearing loss, pre-planning is a necessity to ensure safety.

Obviously, individuals with special needs would prepare for a disaster in many areas like the rest of the population. However, there are ways to help yourself even more.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Blind and Visually Impaired

Deaf-Blind

Limited Mobility

Special Considerations for Those With Alzheimer's

Special Consideration for Those With Medical Needs

Advance Warning of Impending Disaster

Deciding Whether to Go or Stay

Do You Need a Shelter or a Special Needs Shelter?

Helpful Disaster Planning Tips for Those with Disabilities

Deaf and Hard of Hearing

North Carolina Division of Services
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

The North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing offers many services to assist those with hearing difficulties. There are several services that would be helpful in preparing for a disaster.

If you are interested in receiving a free weather radio and are a resident of North Carolina who is either deaf or hard of hearing, call 1-877-261-3116 for an application. Weather radios are different from regular AM/FM radios.

At the regional resource centers, a person who is deaf or hard of hearing can receive, among other services:

a free hearing aid used primarily for communication on the phone
assistive listening devices with instruction on use
television captioning and decoders
training on how to help yourself prepare for a disaster (special needs)
Relay North Carolina (telephone accessibility)

The Emergency Alert System replaces the older Emergency Broadcast System for televisions. This system is designed to accommodate those who are are deaf or hard of hearing. These emergency messages are also available over the radio and other media. The NC Association of Broadcasters is the agency who coordinates these emergency broadcasts for our state.

The more you know how to communicate successfully and obtain safety information from the local media, the more safe you will be both before and after a disaster event. Being able to successfully communicate with authorities will also be a key component of safety during a disaster as you enter a shelter or Special Needs Shelter.

Blind and Visually Impaired

North Carolina Division of Services
for the Blind

The North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind offers many valuable services to those with visual impairment. For a synopsis of resources offered, please visit our caregiver website, Full Circle of Care. Their trained counselors should be able to help you develop a disaster plan that would help you prepare for a disaster event and know what to do when a disaster alert is issued.

As mentioned above, the Emergency Alert System replaces the older Emergency Broadcast System for televisions. These emergency messages are also available over the radio and other media. In our region, tune into WQDR-FM (94.7) or WDCG-FM (105.1) on your radio. The NC Association of Broadcasters is the agency who coordinates these emergency broadcasts for our state.

Deaf-Blind

North Carolina Division of Services
for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

If you are both deaf and blind, North Carolina has specialized help available for you since your needs are unique. This specialized training is available through the North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. And, of course, all the resources available to any person with a hearing disability or with vision loss are also available.

Specialized training can be provided in the following areas:

Adaptive technology
Low vision aids
Amplified and tactile devices
Braille
Communication skills
Safe Travel

Training in any of these areas could help make your world more safe during and after a disaster event. Pre-planning is critical for your safety.

Limited Mobility
Mobility impairment can take many forms. It can be anything from the occasional use of a cane to needing a wheelchair everyday. In addition to any mobility issues, medications can impact the steadiness of gait and the judgment of an older adult. Think about your level of functioning should after-disaster impediments occur such as downed trees, standing water, or debris. Carefully consider if you could function safely with no power, no water, no heat, no ready transportation, and if you had to do everyday activities without assistance under those conditions. Think about whether you could function in this way for up to ten days.

If you are a caregiver for an older adult, it is important to thoroughly evaluate the functioning of your family member. This will help you both make better pre-disaster choices.

The Orange County Department of Emergency Management Services offers a brochure on Disaster Preparedness for individuals with mobility impairments. It includes a checklist, disaster plan and escape plan.

Disaster Preparedness for Individuals with Mobility Impairment

More Information on Planning for a Disaster

Prepare and plan now. Don't wait. And don't expect local government agencies to be able to immediately assist you. Plan for self-sufficiency or plan to go to an emergency shelter or Special Needs Shelter.

Special Considerations for Those With Alzheimer's
If the person you are caring for has Alzheimer's or dementia, pre-planning is critical. Along with the usual issues to think about, there are a few additional considerations and a few possible preparations that you may want to make. The Alzheimer's Association has a fact sheet to help you.

The Association also offers a free 24 hour hotline to assist you with a variety of topics. Calls are confidential. The phones are staffed by clinicians who can provide information about dementia, crisis assistance, caregiving and treatment options and elder abuse. This service is free and is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

As a caregiver to a person with Alzheimer's, you provide a vital role in the life of that older family member. You offer assistance and support that no one else does. That goes for disaster planning as well. On our caregiver website, the Full Circle of Care Caregiver Website, we offer information specifically for caregivers related to planning for a disaster to keep an older family member safe.

Full Circle of Care Caregiver Website on Disaster Response

Special Considerations for Those With Medical Needs
From time to time, almost everyone has special medical needs. For some individuals, these special medical needs are chronic and ongoing. During and immediately after a disaster event, usual resources may not be available. Power may be off for an extended period. Pharmacies may not be open. Transportation may be dangerous or impossible for home care workers. If you have chronic medical needs, these are the types of things you need to think about before a disaster event. Part of that evaluation should be the consideration of a Special Needs Shelter. It is critical that you develop a disaster plan. Your usual avenues of assistance and safety may not be available during and after a disaster. Should you decide to stay at home, plan to be without outside contact, including utilities, for a week to ten days. Be sure to consider such things as:

Is staying warm or being cool important to your health?
Does your medication require refrigeration?
Do you need electricity for medical equipment?
What would happen if you were not able to get to your regularly scheduled treatments?
If a home care worker cannot come for a week, would you be able to manage successfully and safely?
If your home became damaged (for instance, a tree crashes through your living room ceiling), would that be an immediate problem for you?
If you decide to stay and your home becomes damaged and you then have to leave, would you know where to go and how you would get there?
Do you have special diet considerations? What if stores were closed?

These and many other questions need to be considered ahead of time so that you can make the best choices and so that you can be prepared.

Advance Warning of Impending Disaster

Want up-to-date weather alerts
from the National Weather Service?

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from a nearby National Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts and other hazard information 24 hours a day. Please note that you may need a special weather radio to hear the alerts.

NOAA also offers an online Storm Prediction Center that shows current storm watches and warnings along with radar images. Fire hazards are also identified.

Want the latest weather information from the National Weather Service
- Raleigh Office?

The National Weather Service provides online information about the weather conditions nationwide, including alerts and warnings. If a storm is approaching, keep up with the forecast.

North Carolina has a storm center to keep citizens informed. You can get a forecast by city or zip code and see local radar and satellite images. Plus, there is a wealth of storm information and contact information.

Deciding Whether to Go or Stay
For individuals with a disability of any type, deciding whether to "weather" a storm or disaster event in your home or go to an emergency shelter is a major decision. Your specific needs may make it more difficult for you to manage at home given the unforeseen dangers that may occur as the disaster event happens. Think about your needs and how you would handle being alone, without outside contact or assistance, for over a week. To help you make these decisions, we have compiled checklists to help you make sure you have prepared should you decide to stay and that you have everything you need to take with you should you decide to go. There are also questions listed to help you decide which choice is best for you. Be sure to include any pets you may have as you make your decisions.

Click on the first choice below.

Deciding Whether to Go or Stay

Disaster Planning for Those With Disabilities

More on Planning for Those With Special Needs

Do You Need a Shelter or a Special Needs Shelter?
As you make these important decisions, there is another thing to consider. North Carolina wants to ensure that all citizens are safe during and after a disaster event. Emergency Shelters are set up to handle citizens who do not have special needs. There is minimal assistance available. The base intent is to provide safe shelter and food during and immediately after a disaster event. To make sure those with special needs are accommodated, your county may elect to open a Special Needs Shelter. They have a registered nurse on staff and have limited medications available. They coordinate with local aging and health agencies to be able to provide some services through these agencies. If available, a Special Needs Shelter is the best choice for an individual who cannot function independently. It is certainly worthwhile to read about these types of shelters ahead of time so that you will know if this type of situation is best for you. If you decide ahead of time that you will need a Special Needs Shelter, check with your county government to see if they offer a Special Needs Registry. This is a service where you pre-register with the county to let them know that you live in the county, what your special needs will be, and whether or not you will have transportation to a Special Needs Shelter. Often, counties that have this type registration are also set up to notify you when such a shelter is set to open. Be sure to ask.

General Public Shelters
General public shelters activated under emergency conditions are available to anyone who is self-sufficient and needs no outside professional assistance in performing activities of daily living or is accompanied by a family member or other caregiver to assist with activities of daily living. Individuals not meeting the above criteria will either be referred to a Special Needs Shelter or to an appropriate health care facility. In NC, Special Needs Shelters are also called Special Care Shelters.

Special Needs Shelters
Some individuals will need assistance with medical care or personal care during evacuations and sheltering due to physical or mental impairments. If the level of care required is beyond the basic first aid offered in general shelters, these individuals would be referred to a Special Needs Shelter (unless an accompanying caregiver can provide the needed support in the general shelter). These shelters offer more specialized care by trained professionals. The level of care and resources may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

Shelters can be critical for displaced citizens or those who would be unable to weather a disaster event in their own home. Trained personnel organize and make available:

meals
emergency first aid
potable water and ice
a place to sleep
a place to weather the storm or event
emergency relief items such as clothes, as needed
information on the event
access to long-term disaster relief, if needed
mental health counseling
other services as needed

Individuals appropriate for sheltering within a Special Needs Shelter are:

People with minor health or medical conditions that require physician-ordered observation, assessment, and maintenance;
People with contagious health conditions that require minimal precautions or isolation which cannot be handled by the general public shelter staff;
People with chronic conditions who require assistance with activities of daily living and do not require hospitalization;
People with regular need for medications and for regular vital sign readings which requires professional assistance;
People who are patients in nursing homes and/or residents in adult care homes who have medical and/or mental health needs that cannot be met within a public shelter.

Special Needs Shelters

In-Depth Information on Shelters vs. Special Needs Shelters

More Information on Planning for a Disaster

Helpful Disaster Planning Tips for Those with Disabilities

Disaster Preparedness for the Disabled

Large Print Version Specific to Seniors & the Disabled

Preparing for Disaster for People With Disabilities or Special Needs

Disaster Planning for Those With Disabilities

More on Planning for Those With Special Needs