Taking care of people with disabilities during natural disasters in Haiti: Practical advice
After a natural disaster, people with disabilities are among those who are often forgotten in the delivery of aid (Handicap International, 2015). How can they be included in post-disaster management? How can we take care of people with disabilities during natural disasters in Haiti?
Here are 6 tips to consider:
01 Identify their impairments and immediate needs
Ensuring better care for people with disabilities affected by disasters requires reliable information, without which no relevant decisions can be taken. This means creating a Disaster Management Information System (DMIS) with modules on: health, housing, nutrition, safety, leisure, etc.
02-Making information accessible
According to articles 8 and 21 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which refer to awareness-raising and access to information, people with disabilities must have access to information disseminated by the media.
Warning messages must be broadcast in several adapted formats:
- For a deaf or hard-of-hearing person, sign language must be used, or awareness-raising videos must be subtitled.
- For the visually impaired, use Braille or audio messages.
- For people with intellectual disabilities, information must be broadcast using the “Easy to read and understand” method.
03 Making the immediate environment accessible or putting it in an accessible environment
The immediate physical environment must make it easier for people with disabilities to get to safety, visit a health center or doctor, and do their shopping.
04 Preserving their mental health
Organize leisure activities :
- Psychosocial games
- Educational games
- Physical games
05 Manage on a case-by-case basis, not by type of disability
Each person is unique, even if they share the same disability. Consequently, each treatment must be specific, taking into account both the person's disability and related needs.
06 Respecting people's dignity during interventions
Under no circumstances should a photo of a victim be circulated without the victim's authorization, or that of his or her family if the victim is a minor.
