Blog post 4 of Nusrat Zerin_Building Disaster Resilience for All Realistic Community Actions for Disability-Inclusive DRR in Bangladesh.docx

Building Disaster Resilience for All Realistic Community Actions for Disability-Inclusive DRR in Bangladesh - another blog of Nusrat Zerin , Educationist,, inclusion specialist, Special Educator & Disability Development Professional

1. Blog post on Disability and Development by Nusrat Zerin
An Educationist, Special Educator & Disability Development Professional
2025
Title:
Building Disaster Resilience for All: Realistic Community Actions for Disability-Inclusive DRR in
Bangladesh – what can be done
By
Nusrat Zerin
Educationist, Special Educator & Disability Development Professional
2025
A few years ago, during a field visit in Sathkhira, I met a mother of a child with cerebral palsy.
When the floodwaters rose that year, she carried her son on her back through waist-deep water
to reach the nearest shelter. Her biggest worry wasn’t food or clothing it was whether the
shelter would even allow her in, since it had no ramp and the toilets were impossible to access.
That moment stayed with me. It reminded me of something we often forget - disaster risk is not
equal. For persons with disabilities, every flood, cyclone, or fire carries extra layers of fear and
danger. In rural chars and crowded urban slums alike, inaccessible shelters, poor
communication, and exclusion from planning can turn a disaster into a tragedy.
The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030) is very clear: “No one is left
behind.” Persons with disabilities are not just beneficiaries; they must be active leaders and
decision-makers in disaster planning and recovery. And as a woman working in disability and
development, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of including women with disabilities,
whose voices are often the quietest in our systems.
Bangladesh has strong laws, like the Persons with Disabilities Rights and Protection Act 2013,
and national strategies on DRR. But the real test is whether we can translate policies into
practical, doable actions in villages, towns, and cities.
Here are eight such actions - simple, realistic, and fully aligned with the Sendai Framework given
below.
Eight Doable Actions for Disability-Inclusive DRR:
1.Identify & Map Persons with Disabilities
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2. Communities need to know who lives among them and what support they may need during a
disaster. Simple lists, made with the help of local volunteers and Disabled People’s Organizations
(DPOs), can ensure that no one is overlooked, whether it’s a person who needs a wheelchair,
extra medicine, or someone with a visual impairment who may need a guide. Where no DPO
exists, local government bodies, community leaders, schoolteachers, and health workers can
take the lead in coordination, while also engaging families of persons with disabilities to build an
accurate picture of needs.
2. Sensitize & Train Local Responders
I have seen how powerful it is when community volunteers are trained to properly assist
persons with disabilities. From safe lifting techniques to using clear, simple language, these
small skills can save lives. And if persons with disabilities co-lead these trainings, the lessons are
even more grounded in reality.
3. Make Early Warning Accessible
What good is a warning if people cannot understand it? We need loudspeakers at mosques,
pictorial posters for those who cannot read, SMS alerts for those with phones, and even
neighbor-to-neighbor calls. In urban slums, I once saw a simple but brilliant practice: a youth
group had set up a small booth where someone translated warnings into sign language.
4. Retrofit Shelters for Accessibility
This is one of the biggest gaps I’ve noticed in both rural and urban settings. Ramps, wide doors,
accessible toilets, and quiet spaces for those with sensory challenges are not luxuries; they are
basic needs.
In rural areas, raised huts on high ground can serve as safe spots.
In urban areas, schools can easily be retrofitted to act as accessible shelters during
emergencies.
5. Ensure Representation in DRR Planning
Too often, plans are made for persons with disabilities without their input. We must ensure they
are represented in union parishad DRR committees and city ward disaster committees. Even one
representative can shift the whole conversation.
6. Practice Inclusive Drills
When communities conduct drills, persons with disabilities should not be left at home. They
need to participate with their assistive devices, supported by caregivers where needed. These
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3. drills not only build confidence for the individual but also prepare the community to act
inclusively during real emergencies.
7. Plan for Accessible Recovery
After a disaster, life does not simply return to normal. Assistive devices, rehabilitation services,
and mental health support should be part of recovery plans. In one char area, I saw local
carpenters adapt raised beds for wheelchair users after a flood, a small but life-changing act of
inclusion.
8. Advocate for Policy Integration:
Stories from the ground, like accessible shelter models or inclusive drills, need to be
documented and shared with authorities. The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief
(MoDMR), the Ministry of Social Welfare (MoSW), and the National Disabled Development
Foundation (JPUF) must start close coordination as soon as possible to ensure disability-
inclusive disaster risk reduction becomes a reality at every level. Advocacy may begin small, but
with proper coordination it can ripple into lasting national impact.
Why This Matters
Every cyclone warning, every shelter door, every food distribution line if it is not accessible, it is
incomplete. Disaster resilience is not just about surviving a flood or cyclone. It is about
protecting dignity, equality, and the right of every person to be safe.
The Sendai Framework reminds us that resilience is strongest when it is shared. Bangladesh has
an opportunity to lead by showing how inclusive, practical community actions can protect lives
and livelihoods in chars or river islands, in towns, and in cities alike.
And when we say “no one is left behind,” we must truly mean it.
Key Hashtags
#SendaiFramework #DisabilityInclusiveDRR #BangladeshDRR #CommunityResilience
#InclusiveDisasterManagement #DisabilityInDRR #AccessibilityForAll #ClimateResilience
#SustainableDevelopment #CRPDBangladesh
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