Disability should not be a death sentence: global disaster response must be inclusive

When the covid-19 restrictions took effect in Senegal, Fatima (not her real name) found herself unable to understand much of what was happening. Besides the news on the radio, all other information, including on registering for a vaccination, was inaccessible to her as a blind person. She was isolated in her home, scared, and it was difficult to find someone to guide her outside, as the fears of infection were so great.Fatima is just one of the millions of people who have been left without adequate support when disaster strikes. This is seen during pandemics and when resources are inaccessible during natural disasters or conflict.An estimated 1.3 billion people live with disabilities globally,1 and they are consistently excluded from disaster planning and response efforts. This can mean anything from being left behind when trying to escape danger, to shelters and emergency information being inaccessible. Furthermore, people with disabilities face ingrained…
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