Lawsuit: Ensuring People with Disabilities Aren’t Left Behind During Emergencies
In the 2021 heat wave, temperatures reached an all-time high of 116°F and 69 people died in Multnomah County — with people with disabilities overrepresented among the dead. Survivors with disabilities reported being unable to reach cooling centers, obtain accessible transportation, or access timely, usable emergency information.
Since then, little has changed: a wildfire expert recently found Portland has fewer wildfire resources than Los Angeles did before the deadly 2025 Eaton Fire. Forest Park has just two wildfire cameras; the Oaks Bottom area, which has already had three fires this year, has none.
The city's own auditor flagged these gaps years ago, warning that the lack of preparation "puts the lives of people with disabilities at risk." Plaintiffs tried to resolve this without a lawsuit, before filing suit.
Co-counsel in this case are attorneys from Disability Law United, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Cambreleng & Marton.
The Plaintiffs
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Disability Rights Oregon, Oregon’s federally designated protection and advocacy organization, and Bridges Oregon, a nonprofitthat serves Deaf, DeafBlind, Hard of Hearing, and Late-Deafened Oregonians. Three individuals also join the case:
Audra Pearson, a Portland resident with cerebral palsy who relies on a powered wheelchair, paratransit, and round-the-clock caregiver support: “I can't just grab a bag and walk out the door during an emergency — I need an accessible vehicle, a shelter that fits my wheelchair, and staff who know how to help me. Nobody has ever asked what I'd need to survive a disaster, even though it's obvious I'd need help. That has to change before it costs someone their life.”
Jonathan Simeone, a Portland homeowner who is blind: “Learning about the emergency system created and maintained by Portland and Multnomah County, I realized they do not include those of us with disabilities in their emergency planning and that their violations of our civil rights have resulted in those of us with disabilities being more likely to suffer injury or death during an emergency simply because we are disabled and Portland and Multnomah County have not considered the rights of disabled people with the care they have considered the rights of nondisabled people.”
Philip Wolfe, a Deaf Portland resident: "I have the same right to survive a disaster as anyone else, but every time there’s a wildfire, heat wave, or other dangerous emergency, I worry whether I'll get the information I need in time.”
What’s Wrong
Alerts: Emergency maps lack descriptive text; social media warnings often have no captions or ASL.
Evacuation: No reliable way to identify who needs help. Not enough accessible vehicles or trained drivers. People in high-rises, psychiatric facilities, and group homes are largely left out of plans entirely.
Shelters: Known accessibility barriers, with no plan to fix them or ensure people can get medication and equipment afterward.
Planning: Residents with disabilities and advocates have asked to be included for years and have been ignored.
Press Releases
Media Coverage
July 30, 2026: Disability Rights Oregon sues Portland, Multnomah County over lack of emergency planning for people with disabilities
July 30, 2026: Lawsuit says Portland, Multnomah County could fail disabled residents in a wildfire or other disaster
July 30, 2026: Disability advocates sue Portland, Multnomah County over emergency preparedness
July 28, 2026: Portland disabled residents sue city, county over wildfire evacuation and emergency planning
July 28, 2026: Portland, Multnomah County emergency systems endanger disabled
