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Preparedness planning is essential to minimizing the impact of disasters on communities and individuals. Attention to the needs of people with disabilities is vital as they have additional needs before, during and after a disaster that are specific to the disabling condition. In this Commentary, we emphasize national guidelines on disability inclusion in emergency preparedness. We examine some potential areas of planning and response that need attention as suggested by preparedness data for people with self-reported disabilities (also referred to as access and functional needs) and highlight selected resources (e.g., tools, trainings, and online webinars) to enhance whole community preparedness and disability inclusion efforts. This Commentary intends to bridge the gap between those various facets of preparedness, at all levels of government and among individuals, with the aim of ensuring that the whole community is prepared to adapt, withstand and rapidly recover from disruptions due to disasters., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: Approximately 40 million people in the U.S. identify as having a serious disability, and people with disabilities experience many health disparities compared with the general population. The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide) identifies evidence-based programs and policies recommended by the Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) to promote health and prevent disease. The Community Guide was assessed to answer the questions: are Community Guide public health intervention recommendations applicable to people with disabilities, and are adaptations required?, Methods: An assessment of 91 recommendations from The Community Guide was conducted for 15 health topics by qualitative analysis involving three data approaches: an integrative literature review (years 1980-2011), key informant interviews, and focus group discussion during 2011., Results: Twenty-six recommended interventions would not need any adaptation to be of benefit to people with disabilities. Forty-one recommended interventions could benefit from adaptations in communication and technology; 33 could benefit from training adaptations; 31 from physical accessibility adaptations; and 16 could benefit from other adaptations, such as written policy changes and creation of peer support networks. Thirty-eight recommended interventions could benefit from one or more adaptations to enhance disability inclusion., Conclusions: As public health and healthcare systems implement Task Force recommendations, identifying and addressing barriers to full participation for people with disabilities is important so that interventions reach the entire population. With appropriate adaptations, implementation of recommendations from The Community Guide could be successfully expanded to address the needs of people with disabilities., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)