Resources for Communicating with At-Risk Populations

• Building Our Understanding: Cultural Insights: Communicating with Hispanic/Latinos
  This document created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information about the Hispanic/Latino populations that may assist with drafting communication strategies during a public health emergency.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
  This site contains various tools and resources for promoting partnerships with faith-based and neighborhood organizations. Resources include a seasonal flu guide and fact sheet for community organizations.
• Resources for Identifying at Risk Populations from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), Academic Health Center – University of Minnesota.
  This website provides a plethora of resources from various health agencies to assist in identifying At-Risk Populations.
• At Risk Individuals, Behavioral Health, and Human Services Coordination (ABC)
  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. This site has various fact-sheets and tools tailored toward vulnerable populations.
• Equity in Emergency Response Communications Toolkit
  An expansive web site created by the Public Health-Seattle & King County Advanced Practice Center that describes strategies for collaboration between the local health department and community-based organizations to prevent diverse groups from being disproportionately affected during an emergency.
• Seattle and King County Vulnerable Population Segments
  This site provides definitions for the variety of vulnerable populations that may be identified during pandemic flu or another public health emergency.
• The Gender Guide for Health Communication Programs
  This guide from the Center for Communications Programs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health encourages the incorporation of gender-based roles and responsibilities in the design, implementation, and evaluation of health communication programs.
• Institute of Medicine Report: Speaking of Health: Assessing Health Communication Strategies for Diverse Populations (2002)
  This report is available to download as a PDF document for free.

Health Literacy Information

• CDC Health Literacy Information
  This website provides information and tools to improve health literacy and public health. Resources are tailored to various agencies that communicate with people about health, including public health departments.
• A Guide to Choosing and Adapting Culturally and Linguistically Competent Health Promotion Materials
  This document, created by the National Center for Cultural Competence at Georgetown University, provide guidance on how to assure that health promotion materials reflect the principles and practices of cultural and linguistic competence.

Multi-Lingual Flu Resources

• Illinois Department of Public Health Language Page on Flu
  This site provides various resources in multiple languages focusing on pandemic flu and H1N1, including flyers and posters for distribution.
• Sample Flu Notifications from the California Department of Education that includes resources in a variety of languages.
• Flu Resources from the Asian American Health Section of the National Library of Medicine
• H1N1 and Pandemic Flu Information in Multiple Languages from MedLine Plus
• Asian Partnership Against Pandemic Flu
  This site provides information about pandemic flu preparedness for community based organizations throughout Illinois in several Asian languages, including Burmese and Khmer.
• HealthInfo Translations has a comprehensive Pandemic Flu brochure that has been translated into Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Somali and Vietnamese.

Emergency Preparedness Resources for People with Disabilities and Special Needs

• The American Association on Health and Disability has a useful emergency preparedness site that lists several resources they created with partner agencies, including “Tips for First Responders.”
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Disability
  This site houses a toolkit for Emergency Preparedness Managers. It includes information on the National Response Network (NRP), a set of guidelines for responding to man-made and natural catastrophic events.
• Disability.gov’s Emergency Preparedness website provides tools for preparedness as well as recovery that are inclusive of people with disabilities.
• Making Community Emergency Preparedness and Response Programs Accessible to People with Disabilities
  This publication from the U.S. Department of Justice Americans with Disabilities Act provides information and guidance for local government agencies.
• Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and other Special Needs
  This publication, drafted jointly by FEMA and the American Red Cross, was created for community members interested in drafting an emergency plan of their own.
• Prepare Yourself - Disaster Readiness Tips for People with Sensory Disabilities (National Organization on Disability)
• The Northeast Texas Public Health District has compiled 18 Emergency Preparedness Topics and formatted the information to be friendly to deaf, blind, and limited sight populations.
• The University of Florida provides a toolkit for Disaster Planning for Elderly and Disabled Populations.
• The Inclusive Preparedness Center works to include everyone in emergency planning, response and recovery -- particularly those more vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters.
• Emergency Response Planning for Child Care Providers from the Department of Health and Human Services Preparedness and Response Program.
• FEMA – For Kids website, that provides games and quizzes to get children involved in emergency preparedness.

Resources for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Populations

• The State of Illinois Deaf & Hard of Hearing Commission links to resources created by a team of emergency management and health professionals, including a Kids Activity Book.
• Illinois Association of the Deaf provides links to various organizations in Illinois that assists deaf populations.
• Illinois Relay Service, which enables people to communicate with those using TTY.
• Disaster Preparedness and the Deaf Community
  This resource, created by the American Red Cross, aims to encourage and assist deaf/hard-of-hearing community members to prepare for all types of disasters.
• The National Association of the Deaf provides emergency preparedness information on how to create systems to communicate with the deaf community during an emergency and how to include people with disabilities into emergency preparedness activities.
• National Weather Service Emergency Warnings for People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

Resources for Rural Populations

• National Rural Health Association
  This organization provides a variety of resources for health professionals serving rural racial and ethnic minority communities.
• The Rural Assistance Center has a list of various websites and other tools focusing on rural health disparities, minority health, and migrant and seasonal farm workers