Think about your needs

• Learn how diseases spread to help protect yourself and others. Viruses can be spread from person to person, from a non-living object to a person, and by people who are infected but don’t have any symptoms.
• Think about the things you’ll need to do before, during, and after a pandemic and how you can do them. Plan to put important items like your ID or house keys in a small bag that you can hang around your neck so you don’t lose them.
• People with certain physical disabilities (spinal cord injury/dysfunction (SCI/D), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy and stroke) may be at greater risk of severe illness and pneumonia if they develop COVID-19. Consult a doctor about how best to prepare for a pandemic with your disability.
• Store hearing aid(s) and external speech processor(s) for your implants where you can easily find them after a disaster. You can keep them in a container and attach the container to a nightstand or bedpost. Missing or damaged hearing devices may be difficult to replace or fix during a pandemic.
• People who are deaf or hard of hearing face a lot of barriers in accessing information. During COVID, they have often been unable to access vital information such as updates and briefings from the government and facts about COVID. People in the deaf community should advocate now, before the next pandemic, and ask for accessible public health information.
• Remote Working: Working from home is often better for people with disabilities. However, during COVID, many people with disabilities weren’t fully included in a remote work environment. Now, before the next pandemic, is the best time to ask for policies and technologies that include everyone.
• Create a safety plan for your mental health. The plan should include clear steps to follow when you’re in crisis.
  • Think about the reactions you may have during a pandemic. You may be confused, feel anxious or panicky, or have problems sleeping. Plan how you’ll deal with your emotions.
  • You can use DIY coping strategies. You can also make a plan to reach out to your support network and/or therapist.
  • Be sure to get contact details for a back-up therapist in case your usual provider is unavailable.
• Prepare for the possibility of schools, workplaces, and community centers being closed. Look into what you will need for virtual school, work, and social activities.
  • Remote Learning: Learning from home can be tough for deaf students and deaf parents who are helping their kids, especially if the materials they need aren’t accessible.
    • Everyone – students, families, educators, administrators, and policymakers – should work together to make sure all students who are deaf or hard of hearing have what they need to learn in case of another pandemic. Check out tips for helping students with hearing loss in virtual and in-person learning settings. (Link to: https://www.asha.org/aud/tips-for-helping-students-with-hearing-loss-in-virtual-and-in-person-learning-settings/)
    • Everyone – students, families, educators, administrators, and policymakers – should work together to make sure all blind or low vision students have what they need to learn in case of another pandemic. Check out helpful education resources from The American Foundation for the Blind.
• Review your health insurance policies to understand what they cover, including telemedicine options.
• Create password-protected digital copies of important documents. Store them in a safe place. Watch out for scams and fraud.
• In the event of a power outage during a pandemic, talk to your utility providers about your needs in advance, especially for life-support devices (home dialysis, suction, breathing machines, etc.)
• If you receive dialysis, chemotherapy, or other life-sustaining medical treatments, ask your health care provider where you should go or what you should do for treatment if your usual clinic isn’t available during a pandemic.
• Consult a doctor: Hearing and visual challenges can have a big impact on your ability to respond to emergencies. If you haven’t recently (or ever) addressed your hearing or vision loss, consider hearing aids and/or glasses.
• Check out emergency preparedness tips for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia).
• Plan ahead for accessible transportation. Transportation, like buses, may not be running normally. Check with local transit providers as well as with your support network to identify appropriate accessible options. You can also receive transportation assistance through Nevada 211 or learn more by contacting us at the Northern Nevada Center for Independent Living.
• Get your benefits electronically. A pandemic could delay mail service for days or weeks. If you depend on Social Security or other regular benefits, switch to electronic payments. It’s an easy way to protect yourself financially before disaster strikes.