PERSONAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS GUIDE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Why should I be prepared?

It is true that disasters can occur anytime and anywhere, with or without warning, and disasters can affect anyone. But this does not mean that we are helpless in the face of disasters. Preparing yourself for a disaster can greatly reduce the impact a disaster will have on you. Informing yourself about the hazards around you and what may happen during a disaster improves your capacity to ensure your own safety. Thinking about what you might need during a disaster and preparing these items ahead of time can help you to cope with the situation later. The more prepared you are for a disaster, the less assistance and support you will need during and after a disaster. With increased knowledge and preparation come increased chances of survival and recovery in the face of disasters.
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How can this booklet help me?

This booklet provides practical information and reflection points that will help you start developing your personal disaster preparedness plan with your family and your community,. And it aims to do so in a way that will help you take into account your existing skills and capacities that can allow you to help yourself and others during disasters. For caregivers and family members of persons with disabilities, as well as the community as a whole, this booklet can help you ensure the safety of persons with disabilities once a disaster occurs. The information contained here can also be applied to other individuals including older persons, those with chronic illnesses or serious medical conditions, and pregnant women in the late stages of pregnancy, among others.

How to use this booklet

In addition to providing information and practical tips for your personal preparedness plan, each section also contains Reflection Points. These exercises are there to help you reflect and think about how you can start applying the information in each section to come up with a plan that is adapted to your unique needs and situation. Reflecting together on the questions can also help you and those around you measure how ready you really are for disasters. You dont have to do all the exercises at once. For example, you can try to read a different section of this booklet everyday for a short period of time, completing the Reflection Points as you go.

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Understanding how a disaster can affect me

Disasters are a disruption to the functioning of a community, bringing about widespread human, material, economic and environmental losses and impacts. Disasters, brought about by various hazards, are aggravated by an individuals or communitys existing vulnerability and can exceed ones ability to cope using available resources. The first step towards being prepared for disasters is understanding how a disaster may affect you. Disasters affect the whole community, but each individual will be differently affected depending on ones vulnerabilities and capacities. The following situations are just a few examples of how an impairment or disability may influence how disasters affect you:

Disasters may limit your capacity to protect yourself.

You may not be able to move or respond to a disaster because your impairment may have been aggravated, your assistive device got lost or your home damaged.

Changes in terrain may limit your ability to seek assistance or to be seen by relief workers.
Familiar places or routes may move or be destroyed and communication lines may be down. Caregivers and relief workers may not be able reach you because of impassable roads.
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Disasters may disrupt your support network.

You may rely on family, neighbors and friends for help but in times of disasters they may not be able to assist you. Concern over their own safety and survival, the possibility of injuries or even death can mean that they will no longer be able to provide support to you.

Disasters cause psychological and emotional distress and trauma.

Everyone affected by a disaster may panic and not know what to do because of stress, shock, fear and trauma. However, these emotions may worsen some medical conditions or disabilities.

Relief organizations or government agencies may not be able to address your specific needs.
Right after a disaster, relief workers will prioritize providing for the basic needs of everyone affected, such as food, shelter and water. Your own personal needs such as needs for medication or for an assistive device will not be a priority and therefore may not be addressed immediately.

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Emergency shelters may not meet your needs for accessibility, comfort and convenience.
Evacuation centers may not always be adapted to your specific situation. For example, if you have limited physical mobility, you may have difficulties in moving around the center and accessing its facilities such as toilets due to inaccessible construction. Registration systems in evacuation centers also rarely collect information on persons with disabilities. This means that information on your specific needs may not be reaching relief workers.

REFLECTION POINTS
What are the different hazards and disaster risks in the place where you live?
__________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

How about the place where you work or study?

__________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

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What factors today can make you more vulnerable during a disaster?
_______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________

In your opinion, which of the points discussed before may be relevant to you during a disaster?
_______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________ _______________________________________

What you would do in these situations and what can you do now to be prepared for them?
_______________________________________ _______________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

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How can I prepare for disasters?

INFORM YOURSELF AND INFORM OTHERS
Attend meetings in your community on disaster risk reduction.
Broaden your knowledge on hazards, disasters and consequences by going to DRR meetings. From here, you can learn how your community prepares for disasters and how you can help yourself during disasters. Others can learn from you too! For example, you can show them how you and other persons with disabilities should be assisted in times of disasters

Participate in community risk assessments.

Take part in activities which identify the risks, hazards and capacities in your community. Contribute by ensuring that persons with disabilities are mapped and by sharing your possible needs. Do not also forget to offer whatever help you can in your communitys disaster plans. For example, can you volunteer to manage registration or help prepare food in the evacuation centers?
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Be familiar with your communitys early warning systems.

Early warning systems are there to ensure that everyone in the community has ample time to prepare for any impending hazards. Familiarize yourself with the system being used in your community and ensure that it can get information to you in time. Examples of systems include bells, sirens, announcements on megaphones or radios, the use of colored flags, town criers, rain and flood level gauges, etc. Remember the different levels used in your communitys early warning system, so that you and your family will know what to do at any point in time before, during and after a disaster.

Observe.
Check your surroundings for possible hazards.

Monitor the situation.

Be abreast of any hazard updates through the TV, radio and other mediums.

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REFLECTION POINTS
Do you know your communitys various early warning systems? What signals and symbols are used? What do they mean? Fill out the table below with information from your community. An example has been provided to help you get started! SYMBOL OR SIGNAL
Church bells ring for five times

WHAT TO DO?
Signal number 1. We should stand-by and wait for other instructions

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How can I prepare for disasters?

PLAN AND PRACTICE YOUR EVACUATION PLAN
Know your communitys evacuation plan.
Find out where the evacuation centers are in your community. Identify which evacuation center is closest to your home and to where you work, and what the best evacuation route for you is.

Also device a personal or a family evacuation plan.

Having a plan with your family will lessen the chances of breaking the family support system during emergencies. Make sure everyone is familiar with the plan and that it is in line with your communitys evacuation plan.

Think about evacuation plans for places other than your home.
A disaster can strike when you are not at home. Find out about the evacuation and disaster plans of your workplace or school.

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Practice!
Participate in emergency drills in your community. Practice the evacuation plan with your family. Think about alternate methods of evacuation as well and practice them to cover various types of situations. Practicing gives you an opportunity to find out what can be improved in your personal and your communitys disaster preparedness plans.

Accessibility of evacuation centers and routes.

Find out if your evacuation route and the evacuation center where you may need to stay is accessible. If it is not, try to familiarize yourself with the route and the place. If you think it will be impossible for you to access the evacuation center, speak with your communitys evacuation committee or your community leaders. Tell them about your concerns and specific needs, and find an alternative solution together.
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REFLECTION POINTS
Can you leave your house on your own?
Yes, I can do it on my own. No, I need someone to help me .

If you answered no, how will you call someone for help to leave your house?
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Who will you call to assist you? ___________________________________________ The closest evacuation center to my home is:
________________________________________________________________________

The closest evacuation center to my school or place of work is:

________________________________________________________________________

Are the route to the evacuation center and the center accessible to my needs?
Yes, the route and the center are accessible. No, I will have a hard time getting to the center and moving around the center.

If no, how do you think the route and the center be improved for you?
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

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How can I prepare for disasters?

KNOW YOUR NEEDS AND PREPARE FOR THEM
Assess your needs.
Think about the things that are essential to you. These can include important medicines or assistive devices if you use any, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, crutches and the like. Ask yourself how you can continue meeting these needs after a disaster.

Always be ready.
Try to prepare a survival kit together with your family that includes items that you think are essential during and after a disaster. Make sure that your survival kit is complete and known to all family members.

Find out what available services can respond to your needs.

Knowing what services are available can make the evacuation process and the postdisaster situation easier for you and those in your support system. For example, if you think you will have difficulties reaching the evacuation center, ask your community leaders to consider assigning persons to assist and guide you during evacuation.
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REFLECTION POINTS
Do you have a mobility aid or an assistive device? For example, a wheelchair, a cane, or crutches? Yes, I use a _________________________.
No, I dont use one. I need an assistive device but I dont have one.

If you answered yes, what will you do if your mobility aid or assistive device gets lost or damaged during a disaster?
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Are there specific medications or medical supplies that are essential to you?
Yes No

If yes, do you have enough stocks of these medicines and supplies in case a disaster prevents you from obtaining a new stock? Yes No If yes, how many days can your stock last? _____ days What will you do if water is unavailable during or after a disaster?
________________________________________________________________________

If you use items that run on electricity such as nebulizers or dialysis machines, what will you do in case there is no electricity?
________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

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How can I prepare for disasters?

BROADEN YOUR SUPPORT NETWORK
Create and expand your personal support network.
Identify people who you think can help you obtain the resources you will need after a disaster. Other than your family, identify other people who have the capacity to assist or help you in times of emergencies like your neighbors, community health workers, leaders, etc. Have an emergency contact person both in the community and also elsewhere.

Talk to the people in your network directly and explain what is expected of them as part of your support network.
Discuss with each one of them what you think your needs will be during a disaster and let them know what the best way will be to assist you. Have your network practice your personal evacuation plan with you, and make sure your network knows to check on you immediately after a disaster or an evacuation order.
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Contact Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPO) or other persons with disabilities in your community.
Connecting with other persons with disabilities will provide you an opportunity to learn from each others experiences of disasters. Working together can also facilitate the process of ensuring that disability is included in your communitys disaster preparedness plans. Find out if there is a DPO in your community and join their meetings and activities. If there is none, ask about your community or municipalitys focal point for persons with disabilities.

REFLECTION POINTS
Who do you consider your primary support person?
___________________________________________________________________

In addition to this person, who are the other people that you can add to your personal support network?
____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ ____________________

In case of an emergency or a disaster, how will reach these people?

__________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

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How can I prepare for disasters?

KEEP SAFE DURING A DISASTER
Know when to evacuate.
Follow the advice of the authorities when you must evacuate your place.

Keep a flashlight and whistle or other noisemaker close to you.

These items can be helpful in calling attention to yourself. They can be used to call for help or to signal your presence if you get trapped.

Avoid hazardous areas.

Do not stay in or go to areas such as rivers or seas where water may rise. Also, avoid hilly or mountainous areas where landslides are likely to happen.

Turn off the main electrical switch if planning to evacuate.

Make sure that all the lights are off, electrical cords of any appliances pulled off from the socket, and as well as gas tanks used for cooking food.
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How ready am I?
Assessing your very own capacities and recognizing what assistance you will need already increases your preparedness. After reading the booklet, take time to examine your own capacities. Think about the questions in this booklets reflection points. Were you able to answer most of them? If not, continue reflecting on these questions together with your caregiver or your family to help you understand what your capacities and needs are and what you can do together to prepare for disasters. Collect additional information and ask questions directly to those in charge of disaster risk reduction in your community. Remember that working with other members of your community will help not only yourself, but your entire community to be prepared to face disasters.

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EMERGENCY INFORMATION SHEET

During emergencies, it may help if your essential information is in one place. For example, it will be easier for you to let relief workers and search and rescue teams know about your specific needs.

Full Name: ________________________________ Birthday: ______________ Address: _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Telephone number: ________________________ Blood type: _____________ Do you have a caregiver? If yes: Name of Caregiver: Contact number:
NAME Yes. No

________________________________________________ ________________________________________________
CONTACT INFORMATION

Other individuals in your support network:

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EMERGENCY INFORMATION SHEET

Name of primary doctor/health provider: ________________________________ Address and contact information:
____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

List of essential medications and dosages:

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Do you use an assistive device or mobility aid? Yes. No If yes, please specify: ________________________________________________ Please describe any specific medical conditions: __________________________
____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Please describe any physical limitations: ________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Please describe any difficulties in communication: ________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Please describe any cognitive difficulties: ________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

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If you would like to know more about disaster risk reduction activities in your community, please contact:

Handicap International is an independent international, non-profit, non-political aid organization working in situations of poverty, exclusion, conflict and disaster. Working alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups throughout the world, our action and testimony are focused on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions and promoting respect for dignity and their fundamental rights. Through the support of:

http://www.handicapinternational.ph Email: info@handicapinternational.ph