When there are emergency services banging on your door at three in the morning yelling “you have to leave” most grab their wallet their purse and pull on clothes and go, not so If you’re disabled.

If you’re disable otherwise abled or just no longer able to care for yourself, or in a wheelchair for any reason you have to plan ahead.

1/ have an emergency person who has promised to call and come round if phones are down, or tell emergency services you need help if they do not hear from you by a certain time.

2/ Make sure you have spares for your chair and a repair kit, you never know when you’ll be allowed back home. I.E. spare tubes, tires, tools to change a flat and a hand pump and also a box of garbage bags so you can cover your upholstery if you have to go out in the weather.

3/ Until the emergency passes keep all your meds and refills and a list of doctors names addresses , numbers and email addresses in your hand bag. If like me your life is on your laptop every night until the all clear is called pack it in a bag inside two plastic bags, and put all your credit cards and money and purses and important documents in a bag.

4/ If you have a medic alert bracelet or necklace wear it! If you don’t have one write your diagnosis on a card and put it in a plastic holder like the MTA cards go in and attach it to a key ribbon you can wear, and include anything you’re allergic to.

5/Tell neighbors on your floor you’re home alone, and ask they check on you.

6/ If the storm does hit tape paper to your door, and write in large letters” IN CASE OF EVACUATION A DSABLED PERSON LIVES HERE if you’re deaf or blind include that on the sign.

7/ If you have pets make sure you have a carrier, MOST important if you have a service dog make sure when you go to bed each night you leave him in his vest and leash ready to go and include some baggies and small containers of food for him.

8/ Put a box in an open place where you could find it in the dark fill it with candles, matches ,batteries place bottled water next to it and any bandages and first aid kits place them in the middle of the dining room table. Also things like can openers pens and paper a torch with extra batteries and your wet weather gear and a change of clothes and socks all in the one place and a list of every relative and friends number.

Most Of all even if you’re like me and won’t let anyone touch your chair or push or help, please get over it you must be compliant these people are busy and you’re not the only rescue they’ll be handling time is of the essence.

LASTLY in case you live in a secluded area where help might not be coming, map out your escape route or find a safe place in your house and if it’s somewhere not obvious again stick a note on your door.

If you can’t get out but you need to, email me at disabledaccessdenied@gmail.com if you can still go online go to my blog www.disabledaccessdenied.com for a list of emergency contact information in your area.

Please print this out and use it as a check sheet

Share this: Share

Print

Pinterest



Facebook

Reddit



Email

Tumblr



Twitter

Like this: Like Loading...