About a year ago, I had an “aha moment” during a work safety meeting when a police officers said the best thing to do in an active shooter situation is to run. Run, run, run … as far and as fast as you can.

My mind went to my daughter and her school. Her disability makes it harder for her to move as fast as other kids. It takes her a long time to get down stairs.  How will she get out quickly and safely in an emergency evacuation? What about all the other kids out there with disabilities? Do schools have plans in place to keep these kids safe?

This moment motivated me to work with my daughter’s school to get an official emergency plan in place. This plan addresses:

• Plans by type of emergency: fire / evacuation emergencies vs. shelter-in-place/tornado emergencies vs. lock down
• Plans by location: What happens when she is on the 2nd floor vs. the 1st floor
• Real emergency vs. drill: What differences, if any, will there be re: how drills will be handled vs. real emergencies.

A few weeks ago, I did a Facebook Live about this topic, which is now posted to my Ability Hacker channel on YouTube (you can subscribe to my channel here).  You’ll hear about the following as you watch the video:

1. My process for approaching the school and having this conversation
2. The plan we created with our school
   (sample plan linked for download below video)
3. Q&A with viewers of the live broadcast
4. A product I discovered at the Chicago Abilities Expo called the Adapts Portable Transfer Sling (a compact, portable, folding carry sling that can be used in narrow and tight spaces with a two person carry).

NOTE: ADAPTS contacted me after this Facebook Live video and gave me a discount code for my followers – woohoo! If this is something you want to purchase, use AHKR15 for 15% off (nearly $25 off)! 

Ability Hacker Channel on YouTube:

• Go to Ability Hacker channel

Example school emergency plan:
The plan for each child will look different depending on their unique needs – so think of the sample plan as a starting point (not as something to copy exactly).

• Download sample school emergency plan in PDF here
• Download sample school emergency plan in WORD here

Adapts portable transfer sling:

• https://www.adapts.org (discount code: AHKR15)

Adapts on YouTube:

• Go to Adapts Portable Transfer Sling on YouTube

Medi-Sled (used by a viewer to for hospital patients):

• http://www.medsled.com/

Additional locations where adaptations of this post are published:

• The Mighty: Making a School Emergency Plan for your Child with a Disability
• Yahoo Lifestyle: Making a School Emergency Plan for your Child with a Disability

Share your thoughts on planning for school emergencies with me below. Would love to hear your ideas and how you are approaching this for your own kids.

Also, if  you liked this video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.