Stories from the Field: Building Capacity for Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Preparedness Planning and Response

Embedding disability specialists within health departments can improve state, territorial, and local capacity to meet the needs of the entire community, including people with disabilities, in emergency preparedness planning, response, and recovery. The role of disability specialists is to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate disability inclusion efforts within their assigned jurisdictions to better serve the needs of people with disabilities during emergencies. Disability inclusion across all public health efforts is critical to achieving health equity for all.

Find examples of how disability specialists embedded in health departments across the United States have advanced disability inclusion in COVID-19 and other emergency planning and response efforts.