UN report shows very limited progress on disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction

The Global Survey Report on Persons with Disabilities and Disasters was published on october 13 by the UN Agency on Disaster Risk Reduction. This survey analyses to which extent persons with disabilities are prepared to cope with disasters.

Persons with disabilities are frequently the most affected by natural hazards, climate-induced disasters and global health emergencies. The Report shows limited progress in disability inclusion over the past 10 years, with no significant differences across the regions.

Some of the Key findings of the survey:

• 84 per cent (5,322) of persons with disabilities reported not having a personal preparedness plan for disasters.
• 56 per cent (3,549) reported not being aware of or not having access to disaster risk information in accessible formats in their communities.
• Awareness of disaster-risk education plans remains low among persons with disabilities, with only 11 per cent (708) reporting being aware of disaster-risk reduction plans at national level and 14 per cent (897) at sub-national level.
• 86 per cent (5,484) of persons with disabilities reported no participation in community-level DRR decision-making and planning.

The European Disability Forum calls for the acceleration in the implementation of the Sendai Framework by 2030, and urges that findings and recommendations from this report are integrated by policymakers in their work at local, national, and international levels, to ensure tangible actions for disability-inclusive DRR.