People who rely on AAC, as well as others with hearing, reading, seeing, understanding, speaking, and remembering limitations, are especially vulnerable during and after a natural disaster or a local emergency/incident. However, these individuals and/or their advocates are almost never “at the table” when communities engage in disaster planning and drills. First responders (professional and volunteer) and disaster workers are often unaware of their needs. This interactive presentation will challenge AAC stakeholders to “own” emergency/disaster preparedness as part of our “job/responsibilities”. We will explore ideas, resources, materials, examples, and lessons learned. AAC stakeholders alone can identify individuals who rely on AAC and can help them, and their families, prepare for the personal or family emergency that is likely to happen, as well as the catastrophic event that everyone hopes will never happen.
