The Wellington Region Emergency Management Office (WREMO) has launched a new emergency preparedness guide developed by and for disabled people, aiming to strengthen how disabled people plan for and get through emergencies. The guide is the first step in a wider project responding to long-standing evidence that disabled people face disproportionate impacts in disasters.

“Research shows that when disabled people are excluded from emergency planning , including the creation of resources and decision-making, disaster impacts increase significantly,” project lead Renee Santos said.

The framework behind the guide was originally co-designed at the University of Sydney by Associate Professor Michelle Villeneuve and Collaborating for Inclusion, with input from 115 representatives from disability, health and emergency management sectors across Australia. Known as Person-Centred Emergency Planning (P-CEP), the approach is strengths-based. It recognises the expertise disabled people already use to manage daily life, and helps apply those skills before, during and after an emergency. It also encourages conversations that highlight personal preparedness needs and helps to uncover broader systemic barriers to safety and inclusion.

WREMO’s version has been shaped by paid design groups of disabled people at national, regional and local levels. The first stage focuses on practical tools to support individual preparedness planning. Workshops will accompany the guide that focus on strengths, practical planning, and having the right conversations before an emergency happens.

The guide has already been presented to Whaikaha/Ministry of Disabled People and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). Both agencies have backed the work and are now developing a national version, including alternate formats.

With a consistent, disability-led, collaborative approach, this framework is the first of its kind to be adopted in Aotearoa New Zealand. It represents a step toward more inclusive, equitable and effective emergency preparedness for disabled people across the country.

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