A new federal lawsuit is challenging how Portland and Multnomah County prepare for disasters, arguing that disabled residents could be left without accessible warnings, transportation, shelters or cooling spaces when emergencies hit. The case puts years of local warnings about emergency readiness back in the spotlight, with advocates saying the gap is not theoretical — it can become a matter of survival.
Disability Rights Oregon filed the lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of itself and three disabled Portland residents, including Audra Pearson, who has cerebral palsy and uses a powered wheelchair. KATU reported that the complaint challenges everything from how emergency alerts are distributed to whether evacuation vehicles, shelters and cooling centers can actually accommodate people with disabilities.
The plaintiffs allege that Portland and Multnomah County violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Oregon law. According to Disability Rights Oregon, the case also includes Bridges Oregon, along with plaintiffs Jonathan Simeone, who is blind, and Philip Wolfe, who is Deaf.
The lawsuit targets alerts, evacuations and shelters
The complaint says emergency warnings can be inaccessible when they rely on maps without descriptive text or videos without captions or American Sign Language interpretation. It also alleges that officials lack a dependable way to identify residents who need evacuation assistance, do not have enough accessible vehicles or trained drivers, and have left some people in high-rises, group homes and psychiatric facilities out of evacuation planning.
Shelters and recovery centers are another major focus. The plaintiffs claim officials have not addressed known barriers or created a concrete plan for ensuring access to medication, mobility equipment, caregivers and other supports after a disaster, according to the advocacy group’s filing.
A 2021 audit warned Portland about the same risks
The lawsuit arrives with a built-in paper trail. A 2021 Portland city audit found that the Bureau of Emergency Management lacked the information, expertise and capacity needed to plan for people with disabilities, while several emergency plans were outdated and disability-related gaps remained in communications, evacuation and sheltering.
The audit was conducted after the 2021 heat dome, which contributed to 69 heat-related deaths in Multnomah County. It warned that the city’s lack of updated, coordinated disability-focused planning “puts the lives of people with disabilities at risk” and could expose Portland to lawsuits — a prediction that now looks uncomfortably precise.
A 2023 follow-up found some movement but also significant unfinished work. The city auditor’s update said one of seven recommendations had been fully implemented, four were in progress and two had not been implemented, including assigning staff with Americans with Disabilities Act expertise and formalizing disability oversight for key emergency-management bodies.
What officials say — and what the plaintiffs want
Portland’s current emergency-preparedness page says the joint city-county PublicAlerts system can send phone, text and email notifications within Multnomah County. The same city guidance page says the Additional Needs Registry is inactive, while encouraging residents to sign up for alerts and connect with disability-focused community organizations.
The lawsuit asks a federal judge to declare the governments’ emergency planning and response programs unlawful and order them to create an accessible system covering alerts, evacuation, sheltering and recovery. Portland and Multnomah County told KATU that they would not comment on pending litigation.
