GAO: FEMA approved disability applicants 4 points less often and dropped partner training

FEMA approved disaster-assistance applications from people with disabilities at a rate 4 percentage points lower than for applicants without disabilities, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Sept. 30. The report, GAO-26-108057, "Disaster Assistance: FEMA Actions Needed to Better Support People with Disabilities in Disasters," analyzed FEMA grant data for 2022 through 2025.

What GAO found

• Training removed: FEMA took its training for state and local partners on including people with disabilities out of its curriculum in 2025 to comply with executive orders, GAO says. More than a year has passed since it was last offered.
• Uneven coordination: regional disability staff coordinate with state and local partners and officials found that helpful, but the practice varies by region and the role is not standardized.
• Application obstacles: stakeholders cited unclear application questions and eligibility letters written at a grade 12 reading level. FEMA has not sought feedback from people with disabilities on its overall grant application process.
• Approval gap: 4 percentage points lower for applicants with disabilities. GAO's summary does not by itself say why; the report notes obstacles but we are not attributing the gap to any one cause.

The three recommendations

GAO recommended that FEMA (1) re-institute the partner training, (2) document and standardize the disability specialist role, including pre-disaster coordination, and (3) gather and use feedback from people with different types of disabilities on the application process. GAO's page lists FEMA as agreeing with all three, with estimated completion of September 2027 for the first two and public comment planned for fall 2027 and an updated guide in May 2028 for the third. All three are marked open. The report draws on interviews about 2023 to 2025 disasters in Hawaii, Louisiana and Kentucky.

How HUD's long-term recovery money works

FEMA aid and long-term recovery funding are different streams. FEMA's Individual Assistance grants go to households soon after a declared disaster, for things such as replacing assistive devices and medically required equipment. Rebuilding money usually comes later from HUD's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program, which provides funds to cities, counties and states recovering from presidentially declared disasters.

Per HUD, Congress passes an appropriation act for each disaster that provides the funding. HUD then publishes a Federal Register notice with the waivers and alternative requirements, shortly after announcing allocations, and the regular CDBG regulations (24 CFR 570) apply as well. Because each round depends on a separate appropriation and a notice, there can be a gap between a disaster and the arrival of rebuilding dollars. "Awaiting funds" can therefore mean different programs at different stages. We have not traced any specific disaster's dollars here, and this brief does not say any delay reflects misconduct.

What it means for businesses

For employers and contractors in disaster-prone areas, recovery timelines affect workers, housing and local demand. People with disabilities who are applying to FEMA can ask for help; FEMA says it offers video sign language interpretation for applicants.

Sources: GAO-26-108057, Sept. 30, 2026; HUD Exchange: CDBG-DR laws, regulations and notices. News brief on public reports; we did not contact FEMA, HUD or GAO.