Disability inclusion in local emergency management: Evidence from a national survey of emergency managers

Abstract

Local emergency management agencies (EMAs) are on the front line of providing essential services to protect their communities from disasters, yet their efforts often fall short in addressing the needs of populations with disabilities (PWD). Based on a nationwide survey of county government emergency managers, this paper examines organizational practices adopted by local EMAs to advance disability inclusion, identifies barriers to their implementation, and explores whether broader disability-inclusive actions correlate with enhanced deaf/hard of hearing (DHH)-specific services. We find that local EMAs report more commonly engaging in inclusion practices for PWD that align with existing planning and collaboration practices such as incorporating disability considerations into emergency planning and assessments, while other practices are largely not implemented, in part because of financial and staffing limitations. We also find that these disability-inclusive actions taken by local EMAs are strongly positively correlated with increased variety and accessibility of DHH services. Many of these DHH services focus on communication, of which there was reliance on a few common practices such as using written language. Given the range of communication needs and preferences in the DHH community, these practices may not meet the needs of some DHH persons. These findings highlight the need for targeted strategies to advance disability inclusion and enhance emergency management outcomes for PWD, particularly DHH populations.