Investigation of Best Practices for Evacuating and Sheltering Individuals with Special Needs and Disabilities

Prepared in response to the June 2007 General Accountability Office report, "Emergency Management: Most School Districts Have Developed Emergency Management Plans, but Would Benefit from Additional Federal Guidance" (GAO-07-609), this NCEF report reviews current practices in school building design for accommodating the evacuation and sheltering needs for the disabled. The report provides two recommendations: (1) School emergency management plans should include procedures and training for evacuating special needs and disabled students in a variety of emergencies and building conditions and by a variety of routes; (2) Schools should continue to work with emergency planners and building designers to ensure that facilities are equipped to shelter a range of individuals with special needs.