Hazards affect different groups of the population differently. Some natural hazards such as earthquakes or floods could pose greater risks for persons with reduced mobility as they may have difficulty evacuating independently or moving quick enough to escape rising waters.
When mapping the impact of hazards on a community, consider that:
- Changes to the physical environment may make roads inaccessible by wheelchair and present additional challenges to persons who are blind.
- Cyclones or floods may pose greater risk to persons who are deaf or persons with intellectual disability if early warning messages fail to reach them, causing delayed or no action while there was still time to evacuate.
When mapping hazards, identify persons/households with persons who cannot access DRR information and/or who cannot act on it during a disaster due to functioning limitations (e.g. difficulty walking, hearing, seeing, etc.) and barriers.
Consider the following factors:
- Identify where hazard locations overlap with the location of at-risk households.
- Discuss location and accessibility of community resources, facilities and buildings, and if everyone can reach and use the facilities equally (e.g. emergency shelters and the facilities within them).
- Consider safety and accessibility of different routes to be used for evacuation according to different functional needs.
- Consider accessibility of public transportation for evacuation and links with essential support services.
It is important to ensure meaningful participation of persons with disabilities, older people and other at-risk groups during community hazard mapping, and to consider that information and communication barriers can affect the ability of persons with disabilities to engage fully in community consultations. This can be achieved by ensuring accessible meeting venue, accessible transportation, communication, and information.