We learned a difficult fact while responding to emergencies in the US and throughout the world: People with disabilities, people who don’t speak English, children, and people with access and functional needs are disproportionally injured and killed during disasters. This is unacceptable.

 
Nusura set out to recruit the leading minds on disability issues and planning for people with access and functional needs. Then we designed, field-tested and implemented a new grassroots community planning process that involves a much broader segment of the community than traditional planning approaches. Most importantly, it includes the extensive involvement of people with access and functional needs (AFN) as well as the agencies and organizations that serve them.
 
Many of the new concepts our associates developed (including the change from thinking of people with ‘special needs’ to people with ‘access and functional needs’) are being adopted by federal and state agencies throughout the country. This is reflected in FEMA’s recent announcement: “…to emphasize the importance and heighten the awareness of integrating those with disabilities, and others with access and functional needs into local and state government homeland security and emergency preparedness programs.”
 
Nusura offers a variety of related products and services including:
 
• Emergency planning that integrates people with disabilities and AFN
• Public information plans to reach people with AFN, disabilities and language barriers
• Training and exercises that integrate people with disabilities and AFN
• Mass care and shelter planning that integrates people with AFN and disabilities