Tactical Toolkits
Summary: Three practical guides for building accessible emergency communication. Pick the one that matches what you need most.
Practical Guides for Accessible Emergency Communication
Designed to be practical. These are step-by-step guides.
Use them to build more accessible emergency communication. Especially in an emergency, this will matter.
Available Toolkits
Digital Egress Checklist
Open the Digital Egress Checklist
What it is: A comprehensive checklist to ensure your emergency website is “survival-ready.”
Use it for: Testing your website before emergency season.
Time needed: 1 hour for quick wins, 1 week for full implementation.
Key sections:
- Performance (load time, battery drain)
- Accessibility (screen readers, keyboard, contrast)
- Content (critical info first, plain language)
- Multi-format (print, mobile, offline)
Plain Language Guide
What it is: How to write emergency content that everyone can understand, even under stress.
Use it for: Writing alerts, instructions, and public communications.
Time needed: 30 minutes to learn principles, ongoing to practice.
Key principles:
- Short sentences (15 words max)
- Simple words (common vocabulary)
- Active voice (“You must leave”)
- Specific language (not vague)
Multi-Platform Communication Guide
Open the Multi-Platform Communication Guide
What it is: Strategies for distributing emergency alerts beyond traditional platforms.
Use it for: Reaching everyone, everywhere, including on Mastodon, Bluesky, SMS, and more.
Time needed: 2 hours to set up accounts, ongoing to maintain.
Key platforms:
- Tier 1: SMS, Email, Website (always use)
- Tier 2: X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
- Tier 3: Mastodon, Bluesky, Threads
- Tier 4: WhatsApp, Signal, Nextdoor
The 80/20 Rule
80% of impact comes from 20% of effort.
The 20% That Matters Most:
- Plain language - Rewrite in Grade 6 level
- High contrast - Black text on white background
- Large text - 18px minimum font size
- Alt text - Add to all images
- Mobile-first - Test on small screens
Do these 5 things first.
Do them before anything else.
The Bottom Line
Toolkits are useless unless you use them.
Pick one.
Implement it this week.
Test it.
Improve it.
Your next emergency will be better.