Including People with Disabilities in Disaster Preparedness and Response 

22-23 October 2013, Paris

 

Disability SignIn 2011 the Committee of Permanent Correspondents of the European and Mediterranean Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA) adopted Ethical Principles on Disaster Risk Reduction and People’s Resilience. In 2012 the Committee decided to focus part of its work on guidance for a more operative practice with vulnerable groups and in particular on people with disabilities.

A Questionnaire on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction has been developed and circulated in March 2013 in order to collect examples of good practice and already existing regulations and laws in the field. The replies to the questionnaire were included into a report which portrays the situation of people with disabilities in disaster preparedness and response, focusing on different practices, return of experiences, good examples and mentioning the legal issues and drawing attention to what can be done in the case of a disaster. The Report, together with the resulting Guidelines and Recommendations on Including People with Disabilities in Disaster Preparedness and Response were discussed and adopted by the Committee of Permanent Correspondents of the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement on 24 October.

Presentations

  • Thorsten AFFLERBACH, Council of Europe, Head of Social Cohesion and Integration Division

Introduction to the Work on Disability: Presentation of the Council of Europe Disability Action Plan 2006-2015, as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD)

  • Josef NEUMANN, Landtag NRW, Germany

Inclusion of People with Disabilities (German)

  • Claudio DETOGNI, Independent Expert, Federsanità ANCI, National Office, Italy

The Verona Charter on the rescue of persons with disabilities in case of disasters: its role in the past and its perspectives for the future

  • Magda ROOZE and Eva MUENKER-KRAMER, European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations (EFPA)

Contribution from the EFPA Disaster and Crisis Psychology Standing Committee

  • Regina ERNST and Dirk BOENKE, Rehabilitation

International German approach promoting accessibility of various environments (Rehabilitation International, RI)

  • David SINGH, UNISDR

Outcomes of the survey developed by UNISDR in the context of the International Day for Disaster Reduction

  • Stepan BADALYAN, Vice-Chair, Committee of Permanent Correspondents of the EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement

Awareness raising of the people with disabilities to disasters as an integral part of disaster preparedness and response at national and municipal levels

  • Prof. Stefanos DRITSOS, Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (EPPO)

Earthquake Protection Policy for People with Disabilities

  • Olga SHASHKINA, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia

Overview of the current situation regarding Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction in Georgia and Case Study: “Inclusive DRR for vulnerable children in kindergartens and special care institutions” (prepared in collaboration with Save the Children International - SCI Georgia)

  • Silvio SAGRAMOLA, Director, National Disability Information and Meeting Centre, Luxembourg

Good will is not enough

  • Prof. David ALEXANDER, Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, UK

Disaster and people with disabilities: some key issues

  • Prof. Duncan SHAW, Operational research and critical systems, Warwick Business School, UK

The paradox of social resilience: How cognitive strategies and coping mechanisms attenuate resilience

  • Alexandros MAKARIGAKIS, Chief of Unit on Disaster Risk Reduction, UNESCO

Including People with Disabilities in Disaster Preparedness and Response

  • Paola ALBRITO, Head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) Europe

The International Day for Disaster Reduction - Living with Disability and Disasters

  • Eric WEERTS, Emergency and Rehabilitation for Handicap International

Current approaches to including people with disabilities in disaster risk reduction

  • Charlotte AXELSON and Luisa FENU, CBM

Good practices and Voices from the field

  • Luk ZELDERLOO, European Association of Service Providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)

People with disabilities in disaster: Preparedness and Response

  • Dagmar GRESKAMP, Interessengemeinschaft Selbstbestimmt Leben

Twin-Track Approach

  • Dingeman DE JONG, 2bsafe, The Netherlands

The local voice

  • Badaoui ROUHBAN, Global Risk Forum (GRF) Davos

Disaster resilience of people with disabilities: challenges

Visual EUR-OPA Major Hazards

documents de réunion
  • Programme
  • Report of the meeting
  • Report on Including People with Disabilities in Disaster Preparedness and Response EN | FR
  • Guidelines for Assisting People with Disabilities during Emergencies, Crises and Disasters EN | FR
  • Recommandantion on the inclusion of people with disabilities in disaster preparedness and response EN | FR
  • Press Release

Statement of Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni
on the occasion of the International Day for Disaster Reduction- Living with Disability and Disasters, 13 October 2013. (Statement)

Statement of Global Risk Forum Davos
related to the inclusion of people with disabilities in disaster preparedness and response. (Statement)