Disability advocates tell NCD panel recent disaster deaths were preventable; urge prearranged MOUs, accessible alerts

Panelists at a National Council on Disability (NCD) panel on disaster preparedness said the poorer outcomes people with disabilities face in disasters are largely preventable and called for pre-established agreements, accessible alert systems, and disability-led planning.

Unidentified presenters at the opening cited NCD reports and Census Bureau household pulse data showing stark disparities after disasters, including a claim that global mortality for people with disabilities in natural disasters is four times higher than for people without disabilities and multiple examples of elevated post-disaster hardship. The session emphasized that coordination between emergency managers and disability-led organizations is needed before disasters strike.

"It is 100% preventable," said Keeley Cat Wells, a panelist and CEO of Making Space, responding to a council member’s question about whether deaths and harms suffered by disabled people in recent disasters could have been avoided. "Every disabled life that was lost was preventable," added Lawrence Carter Long, a communications professional and disability advocate who described the September flooding in Asheville, N.C. Molly Burke, a speaker and advocate who survived Los Angeles wildfires, said, "None of those people had to die."

Panelists described concrete barriers that compounded risk: inaccessible or absent paratransit and bus stops during evacuations; alerts and public messaging that were not accessible to people who are deaf or blind; reliance on partner or caregiver transportation when independent options failed; and inaccessible online application portals that made recovery paperwork harder to complete.

Keeley Cat Wells recounted local efforts by a Disability Community Resource Center (DCRC) that made more than 800 personal phone calls and consolidated official and social-media information to reach people who otherwise received no alerts. "They consolidated all of the various information… and made it available to them via the phone," she said, crediting that outreach with saving lives and calling for centralized, accessible systems for transportation, medical supply stockpiles and shelter information.

Lawrence Carter Long described how prolonged outages—no electricity, no internet, and cell-tower failures—turned routine orientation cues and navigation supports into life-threatening barriers for people with visual, hearing, mobility and cognitive disabilities. "So you're blind or you have a visual impairment…how do you find safety? How do you evacuate?" he asked, describing blocked sidewalks, nonworking audible crosswalks and elevators out of service.

Moderator Amy Nicholas, senior attorney adviser at NCD, noted that FEMA has revised guidance and, the panel was told, amended individual assistance regulations in 2024 to recognize losses tied to activities of daily living and reimburse items used by individuals as assistive technologies (for example, a phone or tablet used as an access tool). Panelists nevertheless urged more action, including dedicated funding or grants through DHS/FEMA/HHS (ACL) to support independent living centers so they are resourced for emergency response.

The group also called for mandatory disability and accessibility awareness training for first responders and emergency officials, and for the inclusion of disabled people in planning and decision-making. "Nothing about us without us" was reiterated and reframed by panelists as "nothing without us, period," stressing that disabled people must be involved at all stages of preparedness and recovery.

During a question-and-answer period, a council member identified as Theo asked whether the harms were preventable; the panel answered in the affirmative and pushed for immediate implementation of lessons learned. In closing, an unnamed council member asked NCD staff to schedule a Zoom meeting with the panelists and council members to discuss concrete solutions and follow-up steps.

The panel combined lived testimony with policy recommendations: establish MOUs and mutual-aid agreements with disability-led groups in advance, ensure multimodal and accessible alerting (including alt text and non-visual channels), provide training for emergency personnel on disability accommodations, and fund independent living centers so they can operate during emergencies without stretching thin budgets. The session ended with a council commitment to follow up with the panelists to convert recommendations into concrete action.