Maryland has gained a national reputation for leadership to improve the preparedness of individuals with disabilities or other special needs across the state. Previous projects have trained state agencies, service providers and the individuals they serve to be prepared to shelter in place or evacuate if necessary during a disaster. 

The Individual and Family Disaster Readiness project builds on Maryland’s achievements in this area by working with individuals and families who live on their own or with limited support services. The project will develop and implement a disaster readiness planning template for these vulnerable individuals. This template will serve as a guide for people to follow while preparing themselves for a disaster. 

The project will include a summit to discuss the template and to collect preparedness input from vulnerable individuals and their families. Readiness workshops will follow the summit. During these workshops individuals with disabilities or other special needs will use the final template to prepare for a disaster or emergency.

The Maryland Department of Disabilities (MDOD) will lead the template design, summit and workshops with the assistance of the Center for Disabilities and Special Needs Preparedness and the Arc of Baltimore, a minority business enterprise. The project is funded through a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and MDOD.