Reaching out and identifying needs
- Understanding disability and the different types of impairment
- Reaching people in the community
- Speaking to carers and families
- Recording the stories of what happened
- Identifying support and care needs
Challenges when disaster strikes
- Abandonment – getting left behind
- Violence and abuse, which targets the most vulnerable
- Loss of caregivers and assistive devices
- Inability to escape
Overcoming barriers to inclusion in emergencies
- Ensuring people with disabilities are seen and heard
- Making services accessible to everyone
- Providing specialised care
- Overcoming stigma and traditional beliefs.
- Adapting physical surroundings and infrastructure.
Empowering people with disabilities
- Having an inclusive approach to disability before disaster strikes
- Valuing the different abilities of each person
- Involving people with disabilities in planning for emergencies
- Providing an advocacy platform for people with disabilities
Anglican churches agencies decided that Anglican Alliance relief work should focus on those who are the most vulnerable and often overlooked by the mainstream humanitarian aid, and especially people with disabilities.
We are developing innovative resources and training to enhance the work of Anglicans locally supporting people with disabilities during emergencies
Following an Anglican Alliance visit to the Mayukwayukwa refugee settlement in Western Zambia we produced a report on the situation of refugees with disabilities. Based on this experience, we are currently working on the interconnected issues of “gender, disability and displacement” in emergencies.
The Church can be a powerful voice supporting the dignity and empowerment of people with disabilities, creating an environment of respect and equality for everyone.