♿ Multiple Disabilities — Easy Read
This is the Easy Read version. Words are simple. Sentences are short.
Why This Matters
Many people have more than one disability.
Most emergency plans are built for one disability only.
Those plans fail people with multiple needs.
🔗 When Two Disabilities Combine
Two disabilities together cause bigger problems.
The problems are not just twice as hard.
They can be much harder.
Examples
👁️ Blind + 🦽 Wheelchair
- Evacuation chairs need someone to help.
- That person needs to give clear verbal instructions.
- The person who is blind needs to hear them.
🔇 Deaf + 👁️ Blind (Deaf-Blind)
- Audio alerts do not work.
- Visual alerts do not work.
- Only touch-based alerts work.
🧠 Cognitive + 🦽 Mobility
- Cannot follow complex instructions.
- Cannot leave on their own.
- They need a support person AND simple instructions.
👂 Hearing + 🧠 Cognitive
- Cannot hear sirens.
- Cannot read complex text.
- They need vibrating alerts AND picture-only instructions.
⚠️ Crisis Can Create New Disabilities
An emergency can cause a new disability.
This is called a secondary injury.
Examples
- A person with a cognitive disability falls in a dark hallway.
-
They now have a broken leg too.
-
A person with anxiety gets PTSD after a chaotic evacuation.
- A person with mild hearing loss stands near loud sirens.
- Their hearing gets worse.
How to Prevent This
Design for the most complex case.
Do not design for the average person.
Train staff to watch for injury risk.
Keep evacuation routes well-lit and clear.
📵 When Technology Fails
Many people use technology to help them daily.
Technology fails when power goes out.
Examples
- A person with low vision uses a phone to enlarge text.
-
Phone dies → they cannot read.
- A person with a cognitive disability uses GPS to navigate.
- GPS fails → they get lost.
What to Do
- Find out which tools a person depends on.
- Make a backup plan for each tool.
- Use printed maps, written schedules, and laminated cards.
👤 The Complex Needs Passport
This is a one-page document.
It tells first responders what a person needs.
It works when the person cannot speak.
It is waterproof.
What to Put in It
- Name and photo
- Emergency contact
- Communication needs (ASL, simple sentences, Braille)
- Sensory needs (cannot hear, cannot see, quiet spaces)
- Mobility needs (wheelchair, cannot use stairs)
- Medications (names, doses, times)
- What you need most in the first 30 minutes
- What responders must NOT do
Where to Keep It
- On your person at all times.
- With your support person.
- With your emergency manager.
💡 Print on waterproof paper. Laminate if possible.
🔔 Alerts for Deaf-Blind People
A person who is both Deaf and Blind cannot:
- Hear audio sirens.
- See visual flashing lights.
- Read text messages.
- See a sign language interpreter.
What Works
- 📳 Vibrating smartwatch or pager.
- 🖐️ Pre-agreed touch signal (3 taps = leave now).
- Braille displays connected to alerts.
Who Else This Helps
Vibrating alerts also help people who:
- Have their phone on silent.
- Are in a noisy place.
- Did not hear the siren.
🧩 Universal Design
Universal Design means: design for the hardest case.
Then everyone benefits.
One Solution, Many People Helped
| For This Person | Also Helps |
|---|---|
| Deaf-Blind person | Anyone in a noisy place |
| Person with cognitive disability | Anyone under stress |
| Wheelchair user | Anyone with a stroller or cart |
| Person needing simple language | Non-native speakers |
✅ Quick Action List
For Emergency Managers
- Identify people with multiple disabilities.
- Create a personal Complex Needs Passport for each person.
- Register them with a dedicated support contact.
- Include vibrating alerts in emergency kits.
- Train all staff on multiple-disability scenarios.
- Design shelters for the most complex needs.
For People with Multiple Disabilities
- Fill out a Complex Needs Passport.
- Give copies to your support person and emergency manager.
- Make a backup plan for every device you use.
- Choose a support person who knows all your needs.
- Practice your evacuation plan.
💡 The main rule: Design for the most complex case.
One good plan covers everyone.