[WSIS CS-Plenary] FWD:The Disaster Management Bill 2005 leaves 70 million disabled people endangered

[Hiroshi Kawamura]

Dear all:

I am forwarding a message from my friend Aqeel Qureshi 
<aqeelsco at hotmail.com> who is active in access for information & knowledge 
as well as physical access in India.

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The Disaster Management Bill 2005 leaves 70 million disabled people
endangered


D.N.I.S. News Network - In what has now become a routine, so far as the
national policies are concerned, the Government of India has forgotten about
its approximately 70 million disabled citizens while framing The Disaster
Management Bill 2005. This unfortunate omission of disability related
concerns have greatly irked the disability sector.

As if in a providential act of a sad warning, the recent South Asian
earthquake has once again revealed vulnerability of the old, young and
disabled people during times of disaster. But these warnings seem to be
going in vain , as the Government and its agencies fail to address the issue
of focus on disability in its disaster management mechanisms and now the
Bill itself.

It is surprising for the disability sector that in the aftermath of the
Asian Tsunami disaster the impact on people with disabilities, both the
immediate and long-term, was emphatically and empirically highlighted, using
research studies, yet the Government has failed to take cognisance of these
inputs and demands.

National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People
(N.C.P.E.D.P.) in association with Disabled People's International - India
and Vidya Sagar had launched a campaign to get disability issues included in
the relief and rehabilitation work for the victims of Tsunami. As part of
their efforts to gather facts and information, they visited Andaman &
Nicobar Islands, which has suffered the heaviest loss in India. Following
this a report was produced that clearly highlighted the issues and problems
of people with disabilities.

To read Tsunami report click here
An All Party meeting was convened on 9th January 2005 to discuss the relief,
rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the Tsunami affected areas and
assistance provided to the neighbouring countries in the region affected by
the Tsunami. It is in this meeting that the Government informed that a Bill
would be introduced in the Parliament during the coming Budget Session for
establishing the National Disaster Management Authority and the Central
Legislation on Disaster Management in the country.

Disasters affect over 56 million people and kill over 5000 people in India,
annually. The annual economic loss on account of disasters is estimated at
1,884 million dollars.

According to Oxfam, to better the survival chances of people with
disabilities during disasters, and to address their long-term needs call
for:

$B!&(BAn informed debate that is the responsibility of every constituent of the
civil society, especially the media, academicians, activists and other
interest groups.

$B!&(BA $BES(Beality check$B!&(Bby humanitarian agencies to ensure that disability is an
integral part of their disaster response programme.

$B!&(BParadigm shift in disability and disaster related policy making, to
endorse the needs and rights of differently abled people.

It is important that the world recognises disaster-affected people not as
just passive victims, but as active survivors. Recognising that humanitarian
assistance is not an act of charity but a survival right of the affected,
may be the first step to break the poverty-vulnerability-disaster-disability
cycle.

Further, the media reports are replete with instances of mental trauma and
alienation that such high magnitude disasters cause not only to communities
but also individuals depending upon their vulnerability. In addition to
those who are disabled before the onset of the disaster many more become
disabled during the disaster.To read Disaster Management Bill visit on this
link http://rajyasabha.nic.in/bills-ls-rs/2005/LV_2005.pdf