In response to increasing episodes of school violence across the nation, Safe and Sound Schools, a nonprofit organization founded by survivors of the Sandy Hook massacre, has created Especially Safe trainings to help schools plan for the unique needs of students and staff.

As schools continue to revamp their safety/crisis plans, the organization’s focus is to make everyone aware of the exigencies inherent to addressing the needs of students and other people with disabilities or other unique needs.

Especially Safe, a program created in 2017 by the mother of a special needs child killed in the shooting, helps to provide valuable inclusive emergency preparation resources for schools to ensure that a safety prevention, response, and recovery team is in place for special needs individuals (e.g., those who are disabled, have experienced trauma and/or ACES, English language learners, etc.). Among the resources available are are virtual and in-person trainings and workshops, as well as numerous free downloads of guides for planning, preparation, teaching, and training.

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