A team of four students analyzed a International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) survey to identify gaps in emergency management plans on access and inclusion for people with disabilities.
Conducted from April to July 2022, the survey collected 233 responses via LinkedIn, IAEM community partner websites, and targeted emails. The 143 usable responses were divided into three groups: “individuals with a disability”, “professionals working in the field of emergency management”, and individuals who fall under both categories. The team identified several features of the respondents. A majority of the respondents were emergency management professionals (64%); 40% of the respondents were between ages of 36 and 65, male (59%), or self-identified as white (85%) or non-Hispanic (68%). Additionally, statistical analysis was conducted for answers to questions asked on a Likert scale.
The team concluded the survey has several areas of improvement. Examples include a lack of diversity in the sample population and a disproportion between individuals with a disability and emergency management professionals. The study also lists a few limitations to the survey’s results.