Montana Tech student to present disability emergency planning work at National ADA Symposium 

Montana Tech student Lucy Galarus is set to present at the National ADA Symposium in Phoenix, Arizona, July 19–22, 2026. Galarus and Ricky Burns II, who both work for Ability Montana, will present the work of the Montana Tech Emergency Management Club to improve emergency evacuation infrastructure and planning for students with disabilities.

It’s work that began when Galarus arrived on campus as a freshman in Fall 2025. Galarus, who was born with cerebral palsy and uses a power wheelchair, wanted to familiarize herself with what she should do in the event of an emergency on campus.

While Montana Tech had a 19,000-word emergency planning document covering situations ranging from earthquakes to plane crashes, the instructions for evacuating people in wheelchairs relied heavily on the resources, equipment, and specialized training of local emergency responders. Galarus knew that in a life-threatening emergency, a six-to-eight-minute response time from the fire department could be problematic. Even after they arrived, emergency responders were bound by protocol to secure the scene first, ensuring collective safety before they could reach her. In an emergency situation, every second matters, and Galarus began taking initiative to enhance resources and improve accessibility for those needing specialized assistance during emergencies.

“If it were a fire, I could be dead of smoke inhalation by then,” Galarus said. “The safety protocol was to get out of the way and call 911, and I was not okay with that.”

Galarus teamed up with business and information technology student Elijah Wilen and biological sciences junior Alaina Callarman to form the Emergency Management Club. The club’s goal is to bring infrastructure to campus that facilitates the evacuation of students with disabilities and train student peers on how to safely assist people with mobility issues during emergencies.

Wilen’s military background and Callarman’s experience working as Galarus’ personal care assistant helped shape the group’s approach to emergency preparedness. Together, the students developed evacuation planning focused on immediate response and peer support.

“Our goal with the emergency management team is to make a student CERT team, so students who are trained to come help because of situations like what you just described,” Galarus said, referring to emergencies where people with disabilities may otherwise be left waiting for first responders.

Vice Provost and Dean of Students Joe Cooper helped secure funding for two evacuation chairs designed to safely transport people with mobility impairments down stairwells during emergencies. Thanks to the Frances Kunkel and Robert Paul Kunkel Opportunity Fund, administered through the Montana Tech Foundation, these lifesaving resources were procured quickly, and the Emergency Management Club has already trained seven students to safely operate them.

"Ensuring our campus is truly accessible means planning for every scenario, especially emergencies," said Cooper. "We are incredibly grateful to the Montana Tech Foundation and the Kunkel Opportunity Fund for acknowledging this priority and helping us secure this equipment. Our Emergency Management Club students immediately taking the initiative to get trained shows exactly what the Oredigger spirit is about—looking out for one another and making our campus a safer place for everyone."

“It’s not the most fun ride ever, but it gets you out,” Galarus said of using the evacuation chairs. “They lift you into the chair, buckle you in, and the chair has rollers so you can go down the stairs.”

The planning efforts were put to the test during a major windstorm during the fall semester that caused a campus power outage, shutting down elevators while Galarus was on the second floor of a building.

“If the power goes out, the elevators go out,” Galarus said. “I had to evacuate with an evacuation chair, we were successful, and that's because Elijah and a couple of my other friends who we had shown how to do it.”

Galarus and Burns recently presented the group’s work at the Montana Disability and Inclusive Health Summit at the University of Montana.

“We were the biggest hit at that conference because we were actionable,” Galarus said. “We had steps on how to fix these issues.”

Fueled by the success of their presentation at the University of Montana, Galarus and Burns gained the confidence to take their concepts to a larger scale. Aiming to help a broader audience, they applied to present at the National ADA Symposium, eager to share their vital emergency preparedness strategies for people with disabilities.

“We got invited to the National ADA Symposium in Arizona, which is a really big conference for people with disabilities who want to learn more about the Americans with Disabilities Act and how we’re implementing solutions,” Galarus said.

Although the club has only officially existed for one semester, members are already working to ensure its long-term future by training additional students and building partnerships with emergency response professionals.

“Our goal is to have a team on campus so they can help get the people who are stuck, out and then the fire department can do their job,” Galarus said.

Galarus said the group is also seeking donations and community support to continue expanding the program. Evacuation chairs cost roughly $2,500 each and their long-term goal is to get one in every building. The club also hopes to fund additional emergency response and medical training opportunities for student volunteers.

“It’s great experience. It’s going to look great on your resume, and please contact us,” Galarus said of students interested in joining the effort.

Galarus can be reached at lgalarus@mtech.edu.