April 25, 2011 version

Basic response to persons with disabilities in evacuation centers

If you encounter someone who is
physically impaired
visually impaired
hearing impaired
intellectually impaired
psychologically impaired
internally impaired

・People with disabilities are not “pitiful” or unable to make decisions forthemselves. Treat people in a manner appropriate for their age.
・Even with general information available to them, persons with
あちです
すあちでdisabilities in disaster situations havedifficulties
understanding thedangers that confront them and judging how to respond. They tend to findit hard to take appropriate action.
・Some disabilities are not obvious at first glance. If you encountersomeone acting in a manner that might be considered strange, facehim/her and ask, “Is everything alright?” Help the person in a way that
responds to his/her wishes and pace.
・Women with disabilities are in general less likely to receive information.
It is even harder for them to make their voices heard, making it difficult forthem to express their needs.
・People who require assistance or use artificial respirators, particularly
women, tend to consider their lives to be of less priority than others. Datashows that even in a non-disaster situation, women are less likely thanmen to choose to use an artificial respirator, even if essential to survival.
・Be careful to provide female support in assisting women, in particularregarding changing clothing, using the toilet, and bathing.

(1) Support desired by all people with disabilities:
Make facilities as barrier-free as possible and display signs that are easy to see and read
1.

Adjustments are needed to make facilities easy to move around (e.g. remove steps, secure wide hallways,remove obstructions).
2. Hallways must be over 90-cm wide to allow wheelchairs to pass (in a straight line).
3. Make signs for information desks, places where supplies are distributed and toilets easy to see by using
big signboards, colored tape, etc.
4. Establish a secondary evacuation center to accommodate people who find communal living difficult.
5. As much as possible, see to it that someone who understands the disabled person’s situation is withhim/her.
6. Seeing-eye dogs, hearing-ear dogs and service dogs are essential for the movement and lives of theirmasters, and must thus be evacuated with their masters and live with them in evacuation centers, being
provided with food and water as needed.
7. Use nametags to distinguish/identify people with disabilities and the people helping them (e.g. caregivers)
to allow for effective assistance amidst the chaos. Do not, however, make it compulsory in the case ofpeople who do not want to be identifiable.
8. Among the facility’s communication devices, provide televisions with closed captioning and telephones
with a facsimile function.
9. Provide handrails in the toilets.
10. Stock up on adult paper diapers and incontinence pads in different sizes.
11. Prepare packaged rice porridge as emergency food, as well as thickeners and straws.
12. Provide simple medical equipment (including ventilators and cylinders).
13. Ensure privacy for women in the evacuation center, particularly the toilet and changing areas. Measures areneeded to ensure their safety.
14. Sexual violence may take place in evacuation centers, and women with disabilities in particular findescaping from such violence difficult. Take measures to prevent sexual violence, and in the case of such
incidents occurring, provide a consultation/support system for victims.

(2) Support needed specific to disability type
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Visual impairment … caregiver (e.g. helper), cane
Hearing impairment … sign language interpreter, transcriber, hand flag (yellow),hearing aid, writing materials
Psychological impairment … a person very familiar with the disabled person, caregiver (e.g. helper),secondary evacuation center, drinking water
Intellectual impairment … caregiver (e.g. helper), secondary evacuation center
Physical impairment … caregiver (e.g. helper), wheelchair, walker, cane, wheelchair toilet, portable toilet,curtain, and bed (the latter two particularly needed in providing toilet assistance)
Elderly (dementia/bedridden)… caregiver (e.g. helper), walker, call bell, cane, portable toilet, curtain, andbed (the latter two particularly needed in providing toilet assistance)
Heart disease/Asthma etc. … humidifier, mask, AED (automated external defibrillator), anti-inflammatory
throat medicine
Dialysis/Colostomy etc. … secondary evacuation center, information about where dialysis is available,transport to facility
See Japanese Association of Dialysis Physicians Disaster Information Network for facilties available:

http://bit.ly/hodlEu
9. Type 1 diabetes etc. … insulin, cannula for pump, syringe, insulin pen, injection needles, blood glucose
monitoring device, measurement chips, puncture device, glucose, sugar, alcohol swabs
See “Tonyobyo ga yoku wakaru DM TOWN (DM TOWN – Learn about Diabetes)” http://bit.ly/e5pOTJ
10. Pregnancy … Nurse or midwife, sterilized linens211. Infants … nursery staff, air purifier, humidifier, nursing bottles, powdered milk, baby food, baby diapers,
baby walkers
12. A system must urgently be put in place to send for caregivers where none are available.

Information specific to disability type
Although the points below are made based on disability type, the level of assistancerequired by those among each group may differ according to situation or condition atthe time. Like non-disabled people, everyone is different due to factors such as
character, language, nationality, sexuality and religion. Bear this in mind at all times.

(1) Physically impaired＊Many use wheelchairs to move around, so understand how their movements are limited.
＊In the case of electricity being cut off, elevators will not work, electric wheelchairs cannot be charged, andartificial respirators will not operate properly, such that the lives of the physically disabled will be more
affected than those of people less reliant on such machines. Thus, the greater the impact of electricity beingstalled is, the greater the sense of unease they feel.
＊For those who need assistance in daily life, they may be unable to secure a helper as the latter may requiretransportation, making the disabled person very anxious.
＊When helping the person move around, whether by wheelchair or walking, be careful with uneven surfaces
and slopes.
＊When helping the person walk, you can hold hands, put your arm around the person’s waist, or hang onto
his/her belt. Ask the person directly what he/she prefers.
(2) Visually impaired＊Because they cannot receive information visually, reading/writing and walking in unfamiliar places can bedifficult for the visually impaired, and their lives may be put at risk. Care is needed to ensure they are not left
behind when evacuating or moving around.
＊People who are visually impaired can move around safely by holding the arm of the person helping them andhaving verbal explanations provided when going up or down steps, etc.
＊If words are not sufficient to explain where you are, placing the person’s hand on the goal.
＊Understand that even if a person does not appear to be visually disabled, he/she may have weak eyesight,
with altered color vision, tunnel vision or difficulty seeing in bright or dark places, for example.
(3) Hearing/speaking impaired☆ Hearing impaired＊First, understand that they cannot receive information by sound. Even if a broadcast ismade, the message will not be conveyed to them. Thus, audio information must be conveyed
by written word, notice boards etc.
＊Make a point to show them the information in written form, and ensure the message is properly conveyed.
＊Communication can take place by sign language or in writing. Be fully aware that it is hard to convey things
clearly through a lip reading and takes a lot of effort. Do not rely on lip reading communication and use sign
language or writing instead. If one or neither person is able to use sign language, communicate in writing.
＊When communicating in writing, write short and simple things, and do not write long sentences with a lot ofinformation.
☆ The elderly with hearing difficulties＊Do not try to convey a lot of information at once and speak or communicate in writing, slowly and clearly,
and one word at a time.
3☆ Speaking impaired＊If it is difficult for you to pick up on what the speaking-impaired person says, do not reply
in a half-hearted way, and if you do not understand something, say so very clearly. It is not anegative thing that you are unable to understand what is being said.
(4) Intellectually impaired＊Understand that some people are not good at language, memorization or abstract thought, or are unable torespond well to social frameworks or processes.
＊People with autism find it hard to relate to others and show strong interest in certain things. If you find it
hard to talk to them, you can make yourself better understood by speaking slowly, using gestures or drawing
pictures, and showing the actual thing you are talking about.
(5) Psychologically impaired＊Properly understand disabilities that are not physically apparent.
＊Some people suffer from sleep disorders or are restless at night, leading to them sleeping during the day as theirdays and nights are reversed. Some need many breaks to rest as they tire easily.
＊Understand that they have strict restrictions regarding their daily life and social activities, such as food intake andpersonal relations.
＊They take medication regularly – make sure these supplies are swiftly secured. Some people need to drink a lot ofwater due to side effects. The person’s condition may worsen if there is a lack of medicine, so it is important tosecure a place for him/her to rest and find a person he/she trusts to talk to and feel at ease.
(6) Serious or chronic disease＊ Some people may appear healthy at first glance, but have ups and downs in their condition, or physicalstrength limitations, so respond to the person’s condition or pace regarding various matters.
＊ They take medication regularly – make sure these supplies are secured.
＊It may be necessary for example, as a daily medical practice, to take insulin continuously or without fail, soensure people know about multi-purpose spaces in the facility that they can use (secondary evacuation center),and if such facility does not exist, establish one.
Join us! Support us! We are working with the Fukushima/Miyagi/Iwate Support Center for Disabled People
Affected by the Disaster and Japan Disability Forum (among others).

Support Center for Disabled Peoples affected by the Tohoku-Kanto(East Japan) Earthquake
Blog:

http://shinsai-syougaisya.blogspot.com/

Credit card donations:

http://www.dpi-japan.org/bokin_k/dpien.html?1

Director: Shoji Nakanishi (Japan Council on Independent Living Centers), Deputy Director: Ichiji
Makiguchi (Yumekaze Foundation)
Tokyo Office: c/o JIL, 4-11-11-1F, Myojin-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo 192-0046 Japan
TEL: +81-42-631-6620 (Direct line for Support Center) FAX: +81-42-660-7746
Osaka Office: Yumekaze Foundation, 1-14-1 Higashi Nakajima, Higashi Yodogawa-ku, Osaka-shi
533-0033 Japan
TEL: +81-6-6324-7702 FAX: +81-6-6321-5662 E-mail: yumekaze@nifty.com
Website: http://homepage3.nifty.com/yumekaze/
Blog (Emergency news regarding the Tohoku Earthquake): http://yumekaze21.blog39.fc2.com/
April 25, 2011 version

All these things should be respected at alltimes, and not just in evacuation centers.
Use these points in rebuilding efforts.
We will improve upon this text now and then,so do send comments or opinions. Thank you!

DPI Women's Network Japan
3-11-8-5 Kanda Nishiki-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
E-mail: dpiwomen@gmail.com
Blog: http://dpiwomen.blogspot.com/
Website: http://dpiwomennet.choumusubi.com/

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