June Isaacson Kailes, MSW, junekailes.com, is a nationally recognized disability policy consultant, advocate, pioneer, and innovator in inclusive emergency management, health care accessibility, aging with disability, stakeholder engagement, independent living, and hospitality. She is respected as a writer, trainer, researcher, policy analyst, subject matter expert, and advocate.
In health care, June is known for:
- In the early 1990s, one of the few who identified and wrote about aging with disability, a topic not well recognized at that time. She argued that aging with disability was not just a post-polio issue but a significant concern for a much broader and diverse group of individuals living long-term with disabilities. She emphasized that, along with common age-related changes, most people experience¸ coupled with disability, these experiences can be the threat of a “cascading” or “house of cards ” effect related to functional loss and the subsequent loss of independence. June continues to advocate for aging well with disability, which needs to be a major research focus and needs clinical practice guidelines. In addition, there is a critical need for periodic individual comprehensive health and functional assessments that incorporate specific exercises and technology, and recognize that, beyond family history and lifestyle risks, certain types of disability should prompt earlier routine screenings than typically recommended.
- Originating and working with California’s Medi-Cal health plans to require Physical Accessibility Review Survey (PARS) assessments for primary care specialists, ancillary care providers, and community-based adult services sites. Trained surveyors perform these assessments. The survey data is incorporated into provider directories to help people with mobility disabilities find providers that meet their accessibility needs. Accurate survey information addresses the longstanding problem that people previously had to call providers to determine if their accessibility needs could be met. Often, well-meaning but misinformed and untrained staff provided incorrect information. This inaccuracy led to missed appointments and reduced access to health care services.
In emergency management, June is known for:
- As far back as the 1970s and 80s, documenting the profound and dramatic lack of equal and inclusive emergency services for people with disabilities.
- Consistently bridging policy and practice, ensuring disability inclusion is operational.
- Conceiving, promoting, and shifting emergency planning from a vague “special needs” label to operationalizing an access and functional needs approachto planning, response, and recovery. This fosters a clearer understanding of who is included in the large numbers and diversity of people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. June’s widely used CMIST resource framework, helps to plan for the five functional needs that individuals will likely have in an emergency: communication; maintaining health; independence; support, safety, and self-determination; and transportation. CMIST offers clarity, precision, and specificity for building inclusive planning and service practices in planning, response, and recovery. Emergency plans that prioritize function over “specialness” increase the ability to successfully accommodate predictable needs.
- Originating and collaborating with the State of California to adopt and implement Functional Assistance Service Teams (FAST). These teams strategically connect government entities, disability-led organizations, and businesses to support individuals with access and functional needs in maintaining mobility, health, safety, and independence during and after emergencies. Teams combine the skills and expertise of government with community disability service workers. They help transform interventions that still carry outdated, but common, stigmatizing biases, stereotypes, and beliefs about people with disabilities. Variations of this model are being customized and implemented in other states and counties.
- While working with FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, June co-chaired the DHS working group that developed the Functional and Medical Support Sheltering Target Capabilities List and served on FEMA’s National Advisory Council for nine years.
- Developing practical, disability-specific individual preparedness guidance that moves tips from generic to tailored to specific functional needs. This includes evacuation transportation planning, emergency supplies (including no- or low-cost options), emergency health information, and power planning for those who rely on battery- or electricity-powered devices.
- Helping communities in developing specific transit evacuation plans, particularly for individuals with disabilities and those with access and functional needs, by focusing on operational details: defining responsibilities, closing planing gaps, strengthening procedures and training, and being transparent with the public about response time limitations while encouraging neighbor-to-neighbor support.
June’s consulting practice, established in 1989, serves diverse clients, including government agencies, health systems, universities, legal services, and organizations led by people with disabilities. She replaces disability “awareness” and etiquette with high-impact practices and measurable skill sets. She helps organizations develop disability competencies that enhance inclusion across programs, services, and decision-making. June turns aspirational goals into practical skills and translates complex legal and policy requirements into actionable strategies that close service gaps, prevent civil rights violations, and promote equity. She assists organizations in moving beyond vague compliance by operationalizing measurable capabilities, establishing standard operating procedures, and using just-in-time checklists.
June was a prominent leader in the Independent Living Movement and served on the U.S. Access Board for six years. Her work has earned numerous awards, and she has authored over 200 publications, including highly cited after-action reports and practical guides for inclusive planning.
