Paper details
| Paper authors | Maria Kett, Sarah Polack, Israel Balogun and Anna Landry |
| In panel on | Disability Inclusion in Humanitarian Crises: Discourse, Implementation and Evidence |
| Paper presenter(s) will be presenting |
In-Person / |
Abstract
This presentation, based on a recently submitted book chapter, sets out what assistive technology (AT) and assistive products (AP) are, and why they are necessary for persons with disabilities in disaster-affected and humanitarian settings.
Previous research undertaken has demonstrated how little rehabilitation or AT is considered in disaster and emergency responses, despite the obvious need. Very little is known about existing access to rehabilitation or AT in these contexts, and what is known is that the provision of AT (usually assistive devices) is unregulated, and ad hoc, and largely dependent on NGO-funded projects in camps or communities (Kett 2022).
The presentation builds on current thinking around disability inclusion in these contexts, before moving onto discuss AT provision more specifically. We illustrate the challenges with examples from four different disaster-affected settings – Ukraine, Nigeria, Somaliland, and Iraq – which also outline attempts to redress these challenges and how they will impact persons with disabilities in humanitarian settings.
