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Storage
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Store
emergency supplies in a pack or backpack attached to a walker,
wheelchair, scooter, etc.
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Store needed
mobility aids (canes, crutches, walkers, wheelchairs) close to you in a
consistent, convenient and secured location. Keep extra aids in several
locations, if possible.
Emergency supply kit
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Keep a pair
of heavy gloves in your supply kit to use while wheeling or making your
way over glass or debris.
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If
you use a motorized wheelchair or scooter, consider having an extra
battery available. A car battery can be substituted for a wheelchair
battery, but this type of battery will not last as long as a
wheelchair’s deep-cycle battery. Check with your vendor to see if you
will be able to charge batteries by either connecting jumper cables to a
vehicle battery or by connecting batteries to a specific type of
converter that plugs into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter in the event
of loss of electricity.
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If
your chair does not have puncture-proof tires, keep a patch kit or can
of "seal-in-air product" to repair flat tires, or keep an extra supply
of inner tubes.
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Store a
lightweight manual wheelchair, if available.
Know
your surroundings
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Arrange and
secure furniture and other items to provide paths of travel and barrier
free passages.
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If
you spend time above the first floor of a building with an elevator,
plan and practice using alternative methods of evacuation. If needed,
enlist the help of your personal support network.
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If
you cannot use stairs, discuss lifting and carrying techniques that will
work for you. There will be instances where wheelchair users will have
to leave their chairs behind in order to safely evacuate a structure.
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Sometimes
transporting someone down stairs is not a practical solution unless
there are at least two or more strong people to control the chair.
Therefore, it is very important to discuss the safest way to transport
you if you need to be carried, and alert them to any areas of
vulnerability. For example, the traditional "fire fighter’s carry" may
be hazardous for some people with respiratory weakness.
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You
need to be able to give brief instructions regarding how to move you.
Developed by the Independent Living Resource Center, San
Francisco, California
Revised -January 2005
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This file is available for print