Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction

Samarthyam has pioneered inclusion of persons with disabilities especially girls and women with disabilities in the Disaster Risk Reduction and have facilitated several workshops for National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) since 2009.

We have authored the first handbook on ‘Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction’ in 2009, which is referred by NDMA and National Institute of Disaster Management, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India as Standing Operating Procedures for inclusion of persons with disabilities during disasters.

To our credit is exemplary work of accessibility audits post-disaster reconstruction work in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andaman & Nicobar including the Rangat Island of India, where we worked with civic agencies and civil society organizations to build disaster resilient built environment with gender and accessibility lens.

We continue our mission to address development and use of appropriate information and practices on inclusive policies on disaster preparedness, accessible early warnings, accessible transportation, and life safety and evacuation of persons with disabilities.

Samarthyam works with broadcasters and Emergency Management Organizations to develop protocols and standard messaging for accessible early warning and the communication of emergency and disaster related information.