Accessible crisis preparedness will be highlighted at the UN COSP17

Persons with disabilities are one of the most marginalized groups in situations of risk and emergency worldwide. The UN has concluded that this group faces significant challenges in terms of protection, safety, and inclusion in disaster management.

Crisis preparedness and crisis communication need to be accessible to include everyone in society. The Nordic countries will highlight this topic at the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, COSP17, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The Nordic side event will take place on 11 June live in New York, and will be live streamed for everyone interested to take part in.

Coping with disasters whilst maintaining accessibility

At the side event, perspectives on accessible crisis preparedness and crisis communication will be presented, as well as practices from the Nordic countries, the EU, and the UN.

• Saowalak Thongkuay, member of the UN Committee on Rights of People with Disabilities, gives insight into human rights in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies.
• Inmaculada Placencia Porrero, Deputy Head of Unit at DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion at the European Commission, speaks about accessibility from an EU perspective with a focus on the European accessibility act.
• Margareta Wahlström, former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction will speak about coping with disasters while maintaining a high level of accessibility.

Need for consistency and national strategies

Several Nordic disability organisations will take part in the side event and give their reflections on the topic. Living in welfare societies in a conflict-free part of the world means less risk of severe crisis. However, there are several areas of improvement for accessible crisis communication and preparedness.

­– If emergency messages are broadcast via radio or as a sound signal, they are inaccessible to a person who cannot hear them, exemplifies Ida Hansson, chairperson for The Swedish Association of Hard of Hearing Young People and representant for Youth with Disabilities Federation Sweden, YDFS.

Crisis preparedness suffers when the responsibility is split between different actors, and when accessibility is not included in plans and preparations, explains Marina Carlsson, chairperson of the Swedish Personal Injury Association RTP and a board member of The Swedish Disability Rights Federation.

– This is a fundamental problem. Together with our member associations, we compiled and submitted a lot of knowledge about accessible crisis communication regarding the Covid 19-pandemic. But actions are made ad hoc. Accessible information is being moved around or deleted, or not being updated, says Marina Carlsson.

The disability organisations in Sweden report that a rising number of persons with disabilities feel worried about crisis preparedness. On a national level, the organisations call for consistency and a strategic perspective.

– There is a need for a national strategy for inclusive crisis preparedness and crisis communication. This needs to be implemented and supervised on all levels – national, regional and municipal. The responsibilities need to be clear, and the education about this need to be continuous, says Marina Carlsson.

Good examples and guidelines

Making strategies, planning ahead and using smart technology can result in good examples of accessible crisis management. As a result of accessibility routines, in several countries a sign language interpreter is always included when important messages are broadcast in television. In Finland, authorities have recently published guidelines to support the coping of people with disabilities in serious disruptions and emergencies, consisting of both strategic and practical advice.

“Everyone has the right to security, and to feel safe”

The disability organisations underline the importance of including people with disabilities when planning crisis communication and preparedness.

– You get the feeling that politicians and authorities point out that accessibility issues only apply to very narrow groups. But when it comes to crisis preparedness, you can’t think that way. Everyone has the right to security, and to feel safe, says Ida Hansson from Youth with Disabilities Federation Sweden.

Persons with disabilities should be part of the planning process

In Sweden, the Swedish Agency for Participation, MFD, is an expert agency that promotes work with the implementation of disability policy.

­– It is important to take the needs of people with disabilities into account when planning crisis preparations. And according to the CRPD, states must take all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of people with disabilities if a risk situation occur, says Pernilla Börjesson, Head of Department Analysis at MFD.

In the planning phase, the most important aspect is to always include the disability perspective.

– From a planner’s point of view, it is crucial to get knowledge from actors who meet or represent target groups with different types of disabilities. Collaboration with people who have expert knowledge is a prerequisite for realistic planning, says Pernilla Börjesson.