
The Southern California wildfires have put people with disabilities in an especially vulnerable position. Luckily, there are dozens of local, state, and federal organizations working to mitigate the specific risks that the disability community faces. We’ve collected as many relevant resources as we could find that may help you or someone you know. You can also check our more general article listing evacuation centers and free services for people affected by this crisis.
❗ Please note: We’ve compiled this information to help support our community affected by these unprecedented wildfires. These details are changing quickly, and we strongly recommend checking directly with the linked sources for the most up-to-date information.
Table Of Contents
➡️ Major organizations distributing resources and information
🤝 Red Cross Disaster Safety for People with Disabilities
The American Red Cross’s Disaster Safety page provides thorough information about creating an emergency plan, back-up plan, and evacuation plan. They bring up important questions for people to consider before an emergency, such as how to prepare medical equipment and service animals.
🤝 CDC Emergency Preparedness and Disability Inclusion
The CDC’s emergency resource page includes a preparedness guide and a list of communication resources. They also have a separate page for the California wildfires, which links to helpful disaster assistance resources that you may need right now.
🤝 Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
AUCD has compiled a list of helpful resources including helplines and crisis support organizations that you can refer to during the wildfire crisis.
🤝 Disability Rights California (DRC)
DRC has compiled several resources that you may find helpful during the California wildfires. Here are a few helpful pages to refer to:
- Southern California Wildfire Resources – with information about FEMA, housing, humanitarian aid, and mental health resources
- Wildfire Resource Guide & How DRC Can Help You – with info to guide you through fire safety, knowing your rights, and having a plan
🤝 Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA)
LAFLA has created a running list of resources for all types of needs, including the AAPI Equity Alliance, how to get supplies for Type 1 Diabetes, how to find drugs and medical supplies, and information about oxygen treatment.
🤝 LA County’s Aging & Disabilities Department
LA’s Aging and Disabilities Department distributed a PDF of emergency services which you may have seen shared on social media. It includes hotlines, websites, and a list of food pantries around LA, and you can refer to their list of partner organizations for more support, such as the City of LA Department of Aging.
➡️ Organizations with hotlines
🤝 Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies
“The Partnership” is a disability-led organization aiding people with functional needs during emergencies. Their 24/7 hotline is available for you to access immediate information, referrals, guidance, and assistance. Call them for help with healthcare access, transportation, disability rights information, temporary housing, accommodation, assistance with evacuation, and more. Multilingual information and video calls for deaf callers are available upon request.
- ☎️ Hotline: +1 (800) 626-4959
🤝 City of LA Department of Aging
The City of Los Angeles Department of Aging runs multiple hotlines that are worth saving, depending on your situation.
- ☎️ Disability Information & Access: +1 (888) 677-1199
- ☎️ Information & Assistance: +1 (800) 510-2020
- ☎️ Transportation: +1 (888) 863-7411
🤝 SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) runs a national Disaster Distress Helpline for people experiencing emotional distress and seeking crisis support. They provide counseling services, referrals, and coping tips. The hotline is available in Spanish and via Relay provider for deaf or hard-of-hearing ASL callers.
- ☎️ Hotline: +1 (800) 985-5990 (call or text)
🤝 LA County Department of Mental Health
LADMF runs a 24/7 help line offering mental health resources for those impacted by wildfire. The multilingual service is attending people in distress due to the wildfires right now. See their list of regional centers for the developmentally disabled here.
- ☎️ Help Line: +1 (800) 854-7771 for 24/7 mental health support
- ☎️ Crisis Text Line: Text “LA” to 741741
🤝 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
This national helpline is available to assist people and caregivers needing mental illness assistance. Their page about catastrophic stress also has some useful information that may help during the wildfire crisis.
- ☎️ Hotline: 1-800-950-6264 – available Mon-Fri, 10am-10pm ET (7am-7pm PT)
- ☎️ Chat or Text: Text “helpline” to 62640 – available Mon-Fri, 10am-10pm ET (7am-7pm PT)
🤝 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 for people in crisis or friends and family seeking a counselor to help them assist a loved one.
- ☎️ Lifeline: Call or text 988
🤝 CalHOPE Warmline
CalHOPE offers peer counselors who help callers cope with stress, anxiety, and depression. They have resources available for families, groups, immigrants, refugees, minority populations, Urban Indian and Tribal populations, veterans, and more.
- ☎️ Warmline: at +1 (833) 317-4673
➡️ Organizations offering disaster assistance right now
🤝 USSAAC Disaster Relief
USSAAC‘s Disaster Relief Committee is distributing a flyer for people affected by the wildfires who need Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) assistance. Reach out to them for equipment like speech-generating devices, access switches, device mounting systems, communication boards and hooks, and AAC device batteries and chargers.
🤝 CA Office of Emergency Services
The California Office of Emergency Services is providing essential resources through its Office of Access and Functional Needs (AFN) which serves people with disabilities, older adults, children, transportation disadvantaged, and people with limited English proficiency. Resources include evacuation and transportation assistance, sheltering considerations, interpreting and translation services, and assistive technology.
🤝 CFILC’s Disability Disaster Access & Resources
The California Foundation of Independent Living Centers operates a useful Disability Disaster Access & Resources (DDAR) directory. You can search the directory by county for resources in your area that may fit your needs. CFILC recommends that you contact your local DDAR center if your power is shut off or if you’re being evacuated.
🤝 DisasterAssistance.gov
DisasterAssistance.gov is a government website designed to aid people during emergencies. They’re operating several Disaster Recovery Centers in LA right now, and their page for people with disabilities has resources to help you apply for FEMA.
🤝 California Resource Services for Independent Living (CRS-IL)
CRS-IL‘s advocates are on-site at the Pasadena Convention Center to assist people in person. They’ve secured wheelchairs, scooters, appropriate bedding, respirator masks, and more for people that are disabled or aging. They also have a long list of relevant resources on their website.
🤝 Club 21
Club 21 is a learning and resource center for people with Down syndrome. They have requested gift cards to distribute among the people in their community who’ve been affected by the wildfires. They suggest gift cards for grocery stores, Target, Walmart, Amazon, VISA, or gasoline.
🤝 Off-The-Grid Missions
Off-The-Grid Missions assists Deaf and disabled people during emergency situations. You can fill out the form on their website to communicate your needs according to your disability, and they will assist you according to the situation.
🤝 Public Counsel
Public Counsel is a pro bono law firm specializing in civil rights litigation and advocacy. They’ve been updating their Instagram with information to help renters who’ve been affected by price gouging during the fires, so if you need legal help, consider reaching out to them.
🤝 Disability Community Resource Center (DCRC)
DCRC has been hosting events to support seniors and people with disabilities during the wildfires. You can see what they’re up to on Instagram at @dcrcbyyourside.