The new book, Crises, Conflict and Disability: Ensuring equality, highlights diverse perspectives from around the globe on the pressing issue, long neglected in emergency planning fields, of how to meet the needs of people with disabilities in disaster and conflict situations.
People with disabilities are among the most adversely affected during conflict situations or when natural disasters strike. They experience higher mortality rates, have fewer available resources and less access to assistance, especially in refugee camps, as well as in post-disaster environments. Already subject to severe discrimination in many societies, people with disabilities are often overlooked during emergency evacuation, relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts.
In chapter 7, MIUSA promotes building the leadership capacity within the disability community, especially among women with disabilities. Disabled women activists must take their rightful place as leaders and adopt a ‘rights-bearing attitude’ so that international development and humanitarian organizations can begin to utilize this powerful untapped resource.
This innovative book is an important reference for all those working in or researching disability and inclusion, and emergency and disaster management, both in developed and developing countries.
The book was published by Routledge in April 2014. Purchase the book.
