During an emergency, normal services are often disrupted. Many of us may have difficultly receiving emergency information or responding. Persons with disabilities or medical conditions, seniors, children or persons speaking other languages may experience even greater difficulties. The following resources can help you, your family or your community organization prepare in advance of an emergency.

Emergency Preparedness Web sites

- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available in multiple languages.

- Disability Info.gov

- National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness for Culturally Diverse Communities. Searchable resources, translated materials.

- Prepare.org. Available in multiple languages, large print; sections for various audiences.

- Pandemic Influenza.gov. Available in Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

- Ready.gov. Available in Spanish; sections for seniors, persons with disabilities and children.

Tool Kits and Planning Templates

- Strengthening the Strengtheners - A Toolkit for Congregations (Montgomery County, MD)

- Building a Continunity of Operations Plan (COOP) - Tip Sheet (Montgomery County, MD)

- Communications, Protection, Readiness (CPR): NPower’s Nonprofit Guide to Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

- Emergency Preparedness Checklist for Case Management and Home Care Services (Montgomery County, MD)

- Emergency Preparedness Checklist for Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities and Group Homes (Montgomery County, MD)

- Emergency Preparedness Initiative: Guide on the Special Needs of People with Disabilities for Emergency Managers, Planners and Responders (National Organization on Disability)

- Emergency Response Planning for Child Care Providers (Montgomery County, MD)

- Family Readiness Kit (American Academy of Pediatrics)

- Head Start Disaster Preparedness Workbook (UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters)

- Individual Preparedness Notebook (Washtenaw County Public Health, MI)

- Michigan Long Term Care Preparedness Kit

- Michigan Schools Pandemic Planning Workbook & Online Toolkit for Educators

- PLAN: Preparedness through Linking All Neighbors: A Guide to Creating Neighborhood Emergency Plans (Public Health Madison and Dade County)

Specific Documents and Materials in Multiple Languages

- Disaster Readiness Tips for People with Mobility Disabilities (National Organization on Disability (NOD))

- Disaster Readiness Tips for People with Sensory Disabilities (NOD)

- Disaster Readiness Tips for People with Developmental or Cognitive Disabilities (NOD)

- Disaster Readiness Tips for Owners of Pets or Service Animals (NOD)

- Health Information Translations

- Healthy Roads Media. Emergency information, multiple languages.

- Plan to be Safe Campaign (Montgomery County, MD). Simple preparedness information, multiple languages.

- Preparing Makes Sense for Older Americans (Ready.gov)

- Preparing Makes Sense for People with Disabilities and Special Needs (Ready.gov)

- Public Health Preparedness booklet in American Sign Language (Michigan Department of Community Health)