Effective Communications for People with Disabilities: Before, During, and After Emergencies

Disability-Specific Organizations

The American Council of the Blind (ACB)

ACB strives to increase the independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life for all blind and visually impaired people. Since its inception, ACB and its affiliates have been instrumental in the creation of policies that have shaped the opportunities available to people with disabilities in our country.

American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

As a national nonprofit with offices in five U.S. cities, the AFB is a leader in expanding possibilities for the more than 20 million Americans living with vision loss.

The Arc

The Arc is the largest national community-based organization advocating for and serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. It encompasses all ages and all spectrums: autism, Down syndrome, Fragile X, and various other developmental disabilities.

Association of Late-Deafened Adults (ALDA)

ALDA is about communication and acceptance of every deafened individual. What is most important about ALDA is that there are no membership restrictions and no ties to a specific mode of communication. ALDA reaches out to deafened individuals regardless of age of onset who are seeking their place as a deafened person.

Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN)

ASAN was created to provide support and services to people on the autism spectrum while working to educate communities and improve public perceptions of autism. ASAN activities include public policy advocacy, community engagement to encourage inclusion and respect for neurodiversity, quality of life oriented research, and the development of Autistic cultural activities.

Easter Seals

Easter Seals provides services, education, outreach, and advocacy so that people living with autism and other disabilities can live, learn, work, and play in the community. From child development centers to physical rehabilitation and job training for people with disabilities, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life’s challenges and achieve personal goals.

Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)

HLAA has an impact on communication access, public policy, research, public awareness, and service delivery related to hearing loss. Its national support network includes an office in the Washington, DC, area; 14 state organizations; and HLAA chapters and organizations across the country.

National Association of the Deaf (NAD)

NAD is a civil rights organization of, by, and for deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States. NAD’s advocacy scope is broad, covering the human lifetime and affecting future generations in the areas of early intervention, education, employment, health care, technology, telecommunications, youth leadership, and more.

National Federation of the Blind (NFB)

NFB is the oldest and largest nationwide membership organization of blind people in the United States. It advocates for the civil rights and equality of blind Americans, and develops innovative education, technology, and training programs to provide the blind and those who are losing vision with the tools they need to be independent and successful.

Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc. (TDI)

TDI provides leadership in achieving equal access to telecommunications, media, and information technologies for deaf and hard of hearing people. It focuses its energies and resources to address equal access issues in telecommunications and media for four constituencies in deafness and hearing loss: people who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, latedeafened, or deaf-blind.

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP)

UCP educates, advocates, and provides support services to ensure a life without limits for people with a spectrum of disabilities.