Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service

In 2005, the Connecticut Developmental Disabilities Network, a partnership among the Connecticut Council on Developmental Disabilities, the UCEDD and the Office of Protection and Advocacy for People with Disabilities published A Guide for Including People with Disabilities in Disaster Preparedness Planning. This guide explores emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery for people with disabilities. Various resources useful to both emergency management professionals and people with disabilities are found throughout the text and in the appendices.

On October 29, 2012, Storm Sandy struck the eastern seaboard of the United States. Connecticut was one among many states that were hard hit by the storm, with residents experiencing power outages for up to eight days, major flood damage and loss of life. For the purposes of assessing the storm's impact on one of the state's most vulnerable populations, the Connecticut Connecticut's Developmental Disabilities Network, including the A. J. Pappanikou Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Research, Education and Service, the Connecticut Developmental Disabilities Council, and the Office of Protection and Advocacy, conducted a survey in the aftermath of the storm. The survey was directed at two audiences: 1) self-advocates as well as parents, caregivers and guardians of people with disabilities, and 2) people who work in organizations and state agencies that serve, advocate and work with people with disabilities. A discussion of the methods used in administering the survey and of the findings from the survey is available in the Survey Results.