Support Services Needed by Persons with Disabilities during and after Disaster: Lessons for Disaster Management and Reduction Planners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64420/ijgcs.v2i3.351Keywords:
Support services needed, Persons with disabilities, Disaster, Disaster management, Reduction plannersAbstract
Background: Despite robust international and national rights frameworks, disaster risk reduction and management still center on the non-disabled. As climate-related hazards intensify, people with disabilities face a 2–4x higher risk of injury or death, exposing persistent gaps in inclusive planning and service delivery. Objective: To identify and synthesize support services required by PWDs during and after disasters, and to translate these needs into actionable implications for disaster management and risk reduction planners. Method: A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature published from 2000 onward, along with select reports from long-standing international organizations, was conducted using multi-source searches. Eligible studies addressed supports for PWDs across the response and recovery phases. Data were extracted and thematically synthesized. Result: Required supports coalesced into eight domains: health & rehabilitation; accessibility & mobility; communication; participation & governance; social–family support; psychosocial & protection; livelihood & financial assistance; and data & coordination. Conclusion: Disability-inclusive disaster management requires embedding universal design, co-production with PWDs, and guaranteed accessibility across all phases, from warnings and evacuation to long-term recovery. Systems must ensure continuity of care, accessible infrastructure, and accountable governance to reduce disproportionate risk. Contribution: This review consolidates fragmented evidence into a practical, planner-ready framework of service domains, offering a checklist for operational readiness and highlighting evidence gaps in low-resource settings, intersectional risks, and continuity of assistive technology during protracted recovery.
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