Emergency Planning
We can help you prepare for when emergencies happen.
What is Emergency Preparedness?
An emergency is an event that puts a lot of people in danger. It could be a disaster caused by weather, like a tornado, or a disaster caused by humans, like a chemical spill.
The most common emergencies for us to prepare for in Pennsylvania are:
- House fires
- Hurricanes and flooding
- Winter storms and power outages
We can keep ourselves and our families safe by thinking about how to handle these things! Emergency preparedness means making a plan and gathering your supplies ahead of time. Don’t wait until you are in the middle of trouble. Use the resources below or reach out to one of our specialists at TechOWL for help getting started.
Personal Emergency Planning Tools
Be Ready
Be Ready is a new, flexible format for emergency planning that accounts for your access needs during emergencies.
Be Ready (PDF)
My Emergency Readiness Plan-PA
My Emergency Readiness Plan-PA is our original booklet designed to help people with disabilities create personal plans to prepare themselves, their families, and their supports for emergencies.
My Emergency Readiness Plan-PA (PDF)
Individual Emergency and Lockdown Plan
This template is for teachers, parents, and school-age students. It talks about needs that are specific to the school environment. A recorded webinar and related handouts are also available for this topic.
Individual Emergency and Lockdown Plan (Download PDF)
Picture Communication Boards
Picture communication boards can support people with communication disabilities and people who do not speak English. They’re a great tool for emergency shelter workers and first responders to keep handy.
Questions about how to use picture-based communication? Watch a helpful video on our YouTube channel!
English/Spanish Aids Revised 2018
English/Spanish Emergency Communication Board 8.5x11in (PDF – 847 KB)
English/Spanish Emergency Communication Board 8.5x14in (PDF – 1502 KB)
Additional Information
For more emergency preparedness tools and resources, visit the Institute on Disabilities website.
Depending on our availability, we can provide some trainings for organizations at no cost. At times, we may have to charge a fee. This can be negotiated prior to service delivery.
- CIL of NCPA – CIL of North Central PA
- CLASS – Community Living and Support Services
- CRI – Community Resources for Independence
- LIFT – Life and Independence for Today
- LVCIL – Lehigh Valley CIL
- PIAT – PA’s Initiative on Assistive Technology
- UCPNE – United Cerebral Palsy of Northeastern PA
- UCPCP – United Cerebral Palsy of Central PA
- Voices for Freedom – Washington
TechOWL’s services are funded by the federal Assistive Technology Act Program which supports state efforts to improve the provision of assistive technology to individuals with disabilities of all ages through comprehensive, statewide programs that are consumer-responsive. The Administration for Community Living is the federal overseeing entity. In Pennsylvania, the Assistive Technology Act Program is called Pennsylvania’s Initiative on Assistive Technology or “PIAT.”
PIAT makes assistive technology devices and services more available and accessible to individuals with disabilities and their families.
The amount of Pennsylvania’s annual award is based largely on our population and is based on a formula.
If you are interested in training for class or organization, please request a training through this website.