Topic Collection: Populations with Access and Functional Needs

During a disaster, individuals with disabilities and others with access and functional needs will require special assistance from the emergency management system. Planning before an incident ensures that response and recovery operations are inclusive of the whole community and that these populations do not suffer disproportionate impact. Some of these considerations have significant overlap with equity concerns. Please note that ASPR TRACIE recently published a Topic Collection (TC) on Disasters and Healthcare Disparity that may provide significant additional information.

The resources in this Topic Collection highlight recent case studies, lessons learned, tools, and promising practices for working with individuals with disabilities and other populations with access and functional needs. ASPR TRACIE updated this Topic Collection in June 2022.

For information specific to COVID-19, access the COVID-19 At-Risk Individuals Resources collection. Additional resources for at-risk populations can be found in the following TCs: Pediatrics, Dialysis Centers, Long-term Care Facilities, Homecare and Hospice, and Pharmacy.

Please also note:

•   For the purposes of this Topic Collection, we respectfully use the term “Access and Functional Needs,” however, we acknowledge that there are many other terms that are frequently used such as at-risk, special needs, and vulnerable populations. Using these various terms do not negate the usefulness of these resources, which provide valuable planning concepts and ideas for inclusion of the whole community.

•   Due to the changing dynamics of disability and access and functional needs policy, guidance, and regulations, there are some documents that are not yet updated with the most current changes. However, they are included here as foundational documents that users should be aware of.

Each resource in this Topic Collection is placed into one or more of the following categories (click on the category name to be taken directly to that set of resources). Resources marked with an asterisk (*) appear in more than one category.