Disability inclusive disaster risk reduction (DIDRR) framework and toolkit. A report produced as part of the disability inclusive and disaster resilient Queensland project series

The Queensland Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors partnered with the Centre for Disability Research and Policy at The University of Sydney, the Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN), and the Community Services Industry Alliance (CSIA) to engage community stakeholders from the disability, community, and emergency services sectors in the collaborative co-design of tools, resources, and supports for enabling Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk reduction (DIDRR).

People with disability rely on different levels and types of function-based support every day. Access to these supports can be compromised during and after a disaster. This challenges self-reliance and the capacity of people with disability to take effective action during a disaster, increasing their risk and impacting recovery.

Barriers that increase the vulnerability of people with disability to disasters include inaccessible early warning systems that they cannot hear, see or understand; buildings and footpaths that prevent escape for people with mobility impairments; natural hazard emergencies that separate them from their assistive technology and people who support them. The vulnerability of people with disability is further increased because people with disability have not been included in community-level disaster preparedness.