A two-day school safety workshop programme covering disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction held in the Kerala capital emphasised the need for inclusive policies and mental health support for persons with disabilities during disasters.
The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has stated that people with disabilities ‘need to be consulted and fully engaged in developing and implementing national and local strategies.’ The workshops aligned with this principle, focusing on enhancing disaster preparedness, inclusivity and resilience in schools across the state, a spokesman for the organisers said here.
Enhancing preparedness
Jointly organised by Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) and NGOs GeoHazards Society and Mariwala Health Initiative across two days, the workshops focused on enhancing disaster preparedness, inclusivity and resilience in schools across the state, the spokesman said. They brought together key stakeholders, including policymakers, social justice advocates and representatives from institutions serving persons with disabilities.
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Insights into policies
In a panel discussion, PT Baburaj, Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Kerala, highlighted policy gaps while Arun S Nair, Director, Social Justice Department, provided insights into disability-inclusive policies and role of social justice in disaster management. Raj Mariwala, Director, Mariwala Health Initiative, stressed the link between disability and mental health in disaster management while a session hosted by GeoHazards Society underscored the challenges and opportunities in making DRR accessible for all.
Fire safety drill
A highlight of the event was a visit to the Sredha Computer and Vocational Training Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, where participants observed a fire safety drill. It demonstrated the importance of practical safety training tailored to the needs of persons with disabilities. Institutions such as Assisi Centre from Kerala, the Deaf Biblical Ministry from Nagaland, Shishu Sarothi from Assam and Action for Autism from Delhi shared insights on the challenges faced by persons with disabilities during emergencies.
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Resilient environments
The school safety workshop focused on building resilient learning environments through disaster preparedness. Students from Government Model Lower Primary School performed a fire safety skit based on learning from DRR programmes conducted by GeoHazards Society. Schools that had previously implemented DRR programmes shared best practices, challenges as well as how they continued the initiatives independently after gaining knowledge from the programmes. Discussions were centred on strengthening school safety through community involvement and sustained efforts.