Abstract: Highly vulnerable populations, such as people with disabilities, are among the most vulnerable to disasters and have unique needs in emergency rescues. This paper examines disaster management, emergency preparedness, and training from managers’ perspectives for the people with special needs community in the Southeastern United States. Many studies have examined the impacts of natural disasters on local communities; however, this study examines how emergency planning and training for people with disabilities remain crucial to saving their lives. Data were collected using a qualitative, phenomenological approach through interviews with 11 managers from emergency rescue agencies. The findings indicate that most of the emergency managers feel comfortable with the approach to (a)Perceived Familiarity and Existing Provisions in Disaster Planning, (b) Focused Recognition of Commonly Addressed Vulnerabilities, (c) Identification Methods and Their Challenges, and (d) Training Practices and Perceived Gaps. The implications for social change are that this study has the potential to influence policymaking and community engagement toward fairer responses to disasters.

Keywords: Disaster Management, Vulnerable Population, Natural disaster, Emergency Planning and training