Best of the Best Practice Sites

Recent research has shown us that vulnerable populations such as seniors, people with disabilities or chronic health conditions and the poor are more likely to die or be left behind during a disaster. How do we lessen the impact of disasters on vulnerable populations and effectively reach them?

This website brings together some exemplary current best practice efforts addressing disaster-related needs of people with disabilities. These are new ideas or fresh approaches using proven methods that can be replicated at the state, county or grassroots level. They are often accomplished by forming collaborations among different local groups, on a shoe-string budget or with small grants.

Below we have highlighted four county-level programs that are regarded as best of the best practice sites (click on the pictures for more information). We also have listed by category, on the right hand side of this page, other exemplary best practice sites across the nation. With your help we plan to expand these listings. Together we have the ability to significantly reduce the impact of disasters on vulnerable populations.

Animal Preparedness Douglas County Emergency Information Center
Together Prepared Seasonal and Pandemic Planning

The Disability Prepared project is a product of the Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTC/IL), University of Kansas and officially posted on the Internet on October 15, 2010.

Special thanks in the creation of this site:

  • Glen W White, RTC/IL Director
  • Catherine 'Cat' Howland, RTC/IL Project Manager
  • Drew Rosdahl, Life Span Website Designer
  • Tiffany Huggard-Lee, RTC/IL GRA and Forum Designer
  • Megan Hinman, Social Media Coordinator
  • Karen Henry, Life Span Assistant Director for Communications
  • Diane Guthrie Photography
  • Lori Haskett, KDHE Director Disability and Health Promotion
  • Jamie Simpson, KDHE Disability Program Coordinator
KDHE, RTCIL, and Kansas Disability and Health Program Logos

This website was originally created and is supported by Grant # 5U59DD000284, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through a contract with the Bureau of Health Promotion, Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The views expressed are not necessarily those of KDHE, CDC, RTC/IL or the University of Kansas.

The funding for this project ended June 30, 2012. We are no longer making updates to this website or its corresponding forum, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Website last updated May 2012


The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university’s programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Executive Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity & Access, IOA@ku.edu, 1246 West Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas, medical center campuses).