Disability inclusion in disaster risk management operations: An exploration of good practices and resources

This note aims to update good practices of disaster risk management that is inclusive of the needs of persons with disabilities in the five key areas outlined by the report. This note recognizes these needs in the context of rapidly evolving multiple crises, especially punctuated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The intersection of poverty and disability, along with other sources of marginalization, can play a significant role in undermining a person’s resilience to disasters.

The report highlights five broad areas for disability-inclusive actions: (i) Include persons with disabilities as valued stakeholders in DRM activities; (ii) Help remove barriers to the full participation of persons with disabilities; (iii) Leverage policies and legal frameworks to address the needs of persons with disabilities; (iv) Collect data that is disaggregated by disability type; and (v) Ensure that new construction, rehabilitation, and reconstruction are accessible to persons with disabilities. Facilitating an environment with accessible infrastructure and appropriate support modalities would enable more than 1 billion people with disabilities to fully participate in society and contribute productively to the economy.