Too few emergency planners have the expertise necessary to ensure preparations make adequate provisions for disabled, seniors and children during times of emergency. Until further studies are completed, millions of Americans remain at risk during extreme weather events, writes Thomas M. Kostigen in his article for USA Today.
Citing the examples of 2012's Hurricane Sandy, during which seniors were stuck in high-rise buildings in New York City, or the brutal heatwave in the summer of 2003, which killed an estimated 70,000 people in Europe - mostly seniors whose homes did not have air conditioning - the article highlights resources available from FEMA's Ready.gov website and the eSSENTIAL Accessibility campaign, intended to help people with disabilities access vital information online.