Supporting people with disabilities in emergencies

“Humanitarian response must take into consideration the particular abilities, skills, resources and knowledge of individuals with different types and degrees of impairments,” states the Sphere Handbook. Photo: Simon Amani, a member of the Village Disaster Preparedness Team in Lelogama, Indonesia. © Julius Nakmofa/UNISDR

Celebrated on 13 October, the Day focused on the theme “Living with disability and disasters”. This choice acknowledged the fact that people living with some form of disability are among the most vulnerable and neglected in any type of emergency.

Evidence shows that people with disabilities – who make up an estimated 15% of the world’s population – are disproportionately affected by emergencies. They may, for instance, have greater difficulty in accessing food, water, shelter, latrines and health-care services in emergency situations. They also experience particularly high rates of mortality and morbidity.

Emergencies can also create a new generation of people with disabilities due to injuries, poor basic surgical and medical care, emergency-induced mental health and psychological problems and breakdown in support structures.

Estimates from some countries suggest that up to one quarter of disabilities may be associated with violence and injuries. It is estimated that for every child killed as a result of violent conflict, three are injured and permanently impaired.

The Guidance note on disability and emergency risk management for health is a short, practical guide that covers actions across emergency risk management such as risk assessment, prevention (including hazard and vulnerability reduction), preparedness, response, recovery and reconstruction.

The document outlines the minimum steps health actors should take to ensure that specific support is available for people with disabilities when needed and to ensure that disability is included in the development and implementation of general health actions in all emergency contexts.

Its four “Core principles to guide disability-inclusive emergency risk management” are drawn from the principles outlined in the Sphere Handbook and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

“Persons with disabilities are a diverse population including children and older people, whose needs cannot be addressed in a ‘one size fits all’ approach,” the Sphere Handbook states. “Humanitarian response, therefore, must take into consideration the particular abilities, skills, resources and knowledge of individuals with different types and degrees of impairments.”

The Guidance note is intended primarily for health actors working in emergency and disaster risk management at local, national or international level, and in governmental or non-governmental agencies.

People with disabilities, those working in the disability sector and those working in other sectors that contribute to improved health outcomes related to emergency risk management, may also find the document useful.