Children with disabilities and disaster preparedness: a case study of Christchurch

This paper draws on a case study in Christchurch to identify insights, realities, possibilities and obstacles in relation to the involvement in disaster preparedness of children with diverse disabilities. It reports on findings from focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with children who have disabilities, their teachers and caregivers to explore children’s preparedness and potential responses to a disaster.

The findings indicate a considerable variation in how children with disabilities access available resources and perceive, face and cope with natural hazards. This paper shows their potential contribution to disaster preparedness and provides further suggestions for policy and practice.

Kōtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online, 10:2, 91-102