Disaster preparedness and response for people with disability

Person Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP)

The University of Sydney designed P-CEP resources and workbook in collaboration with people with disability, service providers and emergency services throughout Queensland.

In this three minute video, Peter Tully from Ipswich provides first-hand experience of P-CEP and its three key components:

1. The Framework and “Capability Wheel”
2. Principles:
   • Emergency preparedness is a process, not a one-time event.
   • People are experts in their lives, planning starts with them.
   • Person-centred planning conversations build capability of multiple stakeholders towards reducing risks
3. Four steps of P-CEP:
   • Identify your strengths and support needs in everyday life.
   • Know your level of emergency preparedness and learn about your disaster risk.
   • Plan for how you will manage your support needs in an emergency.
   • Communicate the plan with the people in your support network and address gaps through collaboration.

The P-CEP workbook is a conversation guide used by people with disability to tailor emergency preparedness planning to their individual support needs. 

If you want to discuss the P-CEP with a person with disability who is developing their own emergency plan, view How to be a person-centred conversation partner at every step of the P-CEP(PDF, 531KB).

Tools and resources

A range of tools and resources aimed at people with disability (PWD), service providers working with PWD and emergency service organisations are available for use or to explore. The various tools have been developed into three workstreams.

1. P-CEP Peer Leadership

Peer Leaders with disability are:

• informing themselves and others about risks and preparedness steps
• connecting people with disability to emergency personnel, information, and resources
• leading person-centred emergency preparedness conversations at the individual and community level
• influencing change toward disability inclusive emergency planning with local councils.

Refer to P-CEP Peer leadership program to access available resources.

2. Collaborating 4 DIDRR

This webinar series is for:

• people with disability
• community, health and disability service providers
• Government and emergency services personnel.

It aims to develop their capability to work together to ensure the safety and well-being of people with disability before, during and after disaster. 

 3. Disability Inclusive Emergency Planning

Everybody can do their part to make sure people with disability and their support needs are at the centre of emergency planning. Access Queensland case studies to see what others are doing.

This project is proudly funded by the Queensland Government through the Queensland Disaster Resilience Fund and the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy.