Before I begin my email, I realise that even "normal" people were not looked
after by authorities as well as it could have been - in particular the poor
and those trapped in urban poverty. I say this very broadly as this is not
the main point of my email... This is more to bring to your attention about
disability issues....
I've received an email from a list, describing how a disabled lady tried to
get help to be evacuated to the Superdome before the storm arrived, and
unable to summon help by telephone, 911 and emails. Her plight is not
known, but in it describes how she couldn't move to a higher floor in her
building to stay clear of the flood waters, and her personal assistants
couldn't move her.
It is not just about those on/under the poverty line that are especially
vulnerable, but disabled and elderly people and those who rely on medication
in order to survive are just as, if not more so vulnerable too. They needed
more time to evacuate (eg, a deaf person may not have not heard the first
few warnings/evacuation orders), specialist equipment needed to move some
people (not just wheelchair users), advance stock of medicines/batteries,
and ensuring the shelter is suitably equipped to handle such evacuees. Even
as the rescue operation goes on, this is still need to be considered - after
a week, medical supplies will run low, no electricity will mean medical
devices will not work. The longer term recovery phase will be a challenge
to accommodate this group given the complexities involved.
I wonder if anyone who is going to do a rapid assessment of some sort, or
going to visit the area in the future is going to consider the disability
issues. A modern society such as America should be able to begin to know
how to manage this group of people who have been ignored in the past. I
know a few American emergency managers would love to get more information on
this issue as there's simply not enough out there at the moment because it
remains a poorly studied field in DM. I have a feeling a similar story
applies in the UK as well. Just how many disabled people were left behind,
how many of them were in a situation made life-threatening by virtue of
their needs and what are the lessons that can be learnt?
Thanks for your time.
Kyle Sterry,
www.sterry.me.uk -- www.4x4jamboree.co.uk
Civil Protection Officer and GIS Support.
MSc Researcher in Disaster Management & Sustainable Development, University
of Northumbria. UK.
BSc (Hons) Geoscience, University of Aberdeen. UK.
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