Disability rights at heart of new disaster training

Equipping communities with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively to disaster risk situations involving people with disabilities is essential in ensuring safety and protection in emergency situations.

This was the key message shared by Jay Nasilasila, programme coordinator for Disaster Risk Management at the Fiji Disabled People's Federation (FDPF), during a Community-Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) training held in Labasa today.

Mr Nasilasila said that the active involvement of village headmen, community health nurses, and other local stakeholders is crucial to improving understanding and ensuring an inclusive response to the needs of persons with disabilities before, during, and after disasters.

He noted that hearing firsthand accounts from persons with disabilities about their experiences during disasters highlights the existing gaps in preparedness and response. “It becomes evident that communities must be trained and equipped to respond in ways that include everyone,” he said.

“The key role of communities is to identify how best to reduce disaster risks and ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind,” Mr Nasilasila added.

He expressed his support for the piloting of the CBDRM training, which, for the first time, incorporated a strong disability inclusion component.

“This training will help village and community leaders understand what inclusive disaster preparedness looks like from the perspective of persons with disabilities,” he said.

Mr Nasilasila explained that disaster preparedness varies for persons with and without disabilities, and communities must consider inclusive infrastructure and planning measures. For example, the disability access audit and retrofitting work  in evacuation centres across Fiji is one practical step towards ensuring accessibility for all.

“When disaster strikes, if communities are not equipped with the knowledge and capacity to support each other - including persons with disabilities - the gap in assistance and recovery will continue to widen,” he said.

Addressing barriers to inclusive disaster preparedness

Mr Nasilasila identified several barriers that hinder effective disaster preparedness for persons with disabilities, including inaccessible infrastructure, attitudinal, institution and communication barriers.

One of the most critical challenges, he said, is the lack of timely and accessible disaster risk information. Early warning advisories are often not available in formats that persons with disabilities - particularly those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision - can easily access.

He stressed that the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities must be central to all disaster preparedness and response efforts to ensure that no one is left behind.

Mr Nasilasila also encouraged persons with disabilities to continue building resilience and using their knowledge and lived experience to lead change in their communities.

“Work towards identifying barriers and dismantling them, so that you become more resilient in facing disaster situations,” he said.