Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best: Disaster Preparedness and Recovery for Small Businesses

Chapter 7. Special Needs of the Disabled and the Elderly

In the first edition of this book, we wrote,

You and your employees, as part of your personal contingency planning, should give some thought to the needs of the elderly in your family and in your neighborhood. If an evacuation is ordered in response to a disaster, they may require special assistance. I have elderly neighbors who had seen on television the planes crashing into the World Trade Center, but failed to appreciate the consequences for the rest of the community. When I offered to assist them in gathering some belongings, walking down many flights of stairs and walking through the ash to the boats, they were adamant in their belief that leaving their home for a day or two was not worth the inconvenience. I alerted a police officer to their presence and he explained to them that it would likely be more than a few days before they could safely return, that there was no assurance of when the utilities would be restored and that there were other reasons why they should leave. They did, and got out safely. As part of your disaster response, you and your employees should consider the needs of your elderly relatives and neighbors.

This paragraph provoked a particularly strong response from our readers! In particular, I was contacted by The Center for the Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY), a nonprofit organization that was overwhelmed by requests for assistance in the aftermath of a major disaster. CIDNY published ...