People with disabilities and disasters

Investigations have collectively established that disasters affect people with disabilities both disproportionately and negatively. Relevant research is reviewed by academic genesis areas in this chapter, namely; 1) disaster-focused research, 2) mental health, 3) epidemiology and public health, and 4) disability studies. However, research emanating from these disciplines reflects different epistemological assumptions about disability as well as varying knowledge about disability as a social and cultural construct. As such, this fragmented research has yet to coalesce into a coherent theory of how disasters affect people with disabilities. Scholars from the field of disability studies note that perceived disability status is often associated with stigma, creating a separate and unique barrier across societies and cultures, which can augment disaster vulnerability. An important element in reforming practice is ensuring people with disabilities can be active participants in their own preparedness, disaster risk reduction, disaster response, and disaster recovery

Sete desastres relacionados à escola: Lições para legisladores e funcionários da escola

Students are highly dependent on the emergency planning and evacuation decisions made by policymakers and school personnel when disasters occur. The purpose of this study was to examine selected cases of school-related disasters, highlighting how factors of the school context intersected with natural hazards and subsequently affected schoolchildren. Purposeful maximal sampling was used to select school-related disaster cases for their geographical diversity, different instructional contexts, and types of initiating hazards. Among these, seven cases with broad considerations pertaining to educational policy and safe school environments were selected. A within-case analysis was conducted of each case, followed by a cross-case thematic analysis. Six overarching factors were found in the thematic synthesis of the findings. First, school safety practices apply anytime children are under the supervision of school personnel, making knowledge of emergency procedures across multiple types of school settings essential. Second, elements that place schoolchildren at risk also place school personnel at risk. Third, teachers and school administrators need to be well-trained and knowledgeable enough to make independent decisions in emergency situations. Fourth, children must know emergency procedures so they may take independent action, given teachers are also at-risk during disasters. Fifth, most school disasters can be prevented through safe school construction. Finally, it is the responsibility of policymakers to ensure schools are safe learning environments for children. By participating in and advocating for a culture of preparedness, educational policymakers can better protect schoolchildren, as well as school personnel, in disaster situations. Los estudiantes son muy dependientes en la planificación de emergencia y la evacuación de las decisiones tomadas por los políticos y la escuela cuando los desastres se producen. El propósito de este estudio fue examinar los casos de los problemas relacionados con la enfermedad y mostrar cómo los factores de la intersección del contexto intersectorial con las poblaciones naturales y la afectación de la escuela. En el caso de los niños, los niños y las niñas, Se han encontrado seis argumentos. En primer lugar, las normas de seguridad de la escuela aplican a los niños de edad bajo la supervisión de la escuela de trabajo, haciendo un seguimiento de los procedimientos de seguridad a través de varios tipos de la escuela de configuración esencial. En segundo lugar, los elementos que sitúan a los escolares en el riesgo también a la escuela en el riesgo. En tercer lugar, los maestros y los maestros de la escuela necesitan estar bien informados y bien informados para tener decisiones independientes en situaciones de emergencia. En el caso de los niños, los hijos deben saber los procedimientos de emergencia que pueden llevar a cabo la acción independiente, dado que los maestros también están en riesgo durante los desastres. La edad, la mayoría de los profesionales de la salud pueden prevenirse a través de la escuela de seguros. Por lo tanto, es la responsabilidad de los políticos para que las escuelas son seguros de aprendizaje de los hijos para los niños. Por la defensa de la cultura de la preparación, las políticas educativas pueden mejorar el cuidado de la escuela y la escuela en situaciones de desastres.Os estudantes são muito dependentes do planejamento de emergência e da evacuação de decisões tomadas por políticos e pela escola quando ocorrem desastres. O objetivo deste estudo foi examinar os casos dos problemas relacionados à doença e mostrar como os fatores de intersecção do contexto intersetorial com as populações naturais e a afetação da escola. No caso de crianças, meninos e meninas, seis argumentos foram encontrados. Em primeiro lugar, os padrões de segurança da escola aplicam-se a crianças mais velhas sob a supervisão da escola de trabalho, seguindo os procedimentos de segurança através de vários tipos de ambientes essenciais à escola. Em segundo lugar, os elementos que colocam as crianças em risco também na escola em risco. Em terceiro lugar, professores e professores precisam estar bem informados e bem informados para ter decisões independentes em situações de emergência. No caso de crianças, as crianças devem conhecer os procedimentos de emergência que podem realizar ações independentes, uma vez que os professores também estão em risco durante os desastres. Idade, a maioria dos profissionais de saúde pode ser evitada através da escola de seguros. Portanto, é responsabilidade dos políticos que as escolas estejam seguras para aprender crianças para crianças. Ao defender a cultura de preparação, as políticas educacionais podem melhorar o atendimento da escola e da escola em situações de desastre

Addressing the needs of children with disabilities experiencing disaster or terrorism

Purpose of review: This paper reviews the empirical literature on psychosocial factors relating to children with disabilities in the context of disaster or terrorism. Recent findings: Research indicates individuals with disabilities experience increased exposure to hazards due to existing social disparities and barriers associated with disability status. However, studies on the psychological effects of disaster/terrorism on children with preexisting disabilities are exceedingly few and empirical evidence of the effectiveness of trauma-focused therapies for this population is limited. Secondary adversities, including social stigma and health concerns, also compromise the recovery of these children post-disaster/terrorism. Schools and teachers appear to be particularly important in the recovery of children with disabilities to disaster. Disasters, terrorism, and war all contribute to the incidence of disability, as well as disproportionately affect children with preexisting disabilities. Summary: Disaster preparedness interventions and societal changes are needed to decrease the disproportionate environmental and social vulnerability of children with disabilities to disaster and terrorism

Special education in Costa Rica

Chapter in C. R. Reynolds , K. J. Vannest, & E. Fletcher-Janzen, (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Special Education (4th ed. 667-669).Costa Rica has the strongest public education system in Central America. The 1869 constitution mandated a free, obligatory, and state-supported educational system making Costa Rica one of the first countries in the world to pass such legislation (Biesanz, Biesanz, & Biesanz, 1999; Creedman, 1991). Approximately 23% of the national budget is dedicated to education (UNESCO 2011) and schools can be found even in the most isolated regions of the country. As a result, Costa Rica’s literacy rate of 96% is one of the highest in Latin America and high school graduation rates are effectively equal for girls and boys (UNESCO, 2011). Costa Rica is equally progressive in educating children with disabilities. Special education services were first established in 1940 when the Fernando Centeno Güell School was created near the capital city of San José (Centeno, 1941). The founding of the school, which initially provided services for students with intellectual disabilities, was a significant educational milestone for the country (Dengo Obregón, 2000). Costa Rica passed one of the first pieces of special education legislation in the world in 1957, the Fundamental Law of Education. The Fundamental Law of Education established the constitutional right of students with disabilities to receive a special education, including special didactic techniques and materials; and the right of parents to receive information on assisting their child with special educational needs. Today in Costa Rica, special education services are function throughout the county under the direction of the Department of Special Education within a nationally centralized Ministry of Public Education

Seven school-related disasters: Lessons for policymakers and school personnel

Students are highly dependent on the emergency planning and evacuation decisions made by policymakers and school personnel when disasters occur. The purpose of this study was to examine selected cases of school-related disasters, highlighting how factors of the school context intersected with natural hazards and subsequently affected schoolchildren. Purposeful maximal sampling was used and seven school-related disaster cases were selected for their geographical diversity, different instructional contexts, and types of initiating hazards. Among these cases, those with broad considerations pertaining to educational policy and safe school environments were selected. A within-case analysis was conducted of each case, followed by a cross-case thematic analysis. Six overarching factors were found in the thematic synthesis of the findings. First, school safety practices apply anytime children are under the supervision of school personnel, making knowledge of emergency procedures across multiple types of school settings essential. Second, elements that place schoolchildren at risk also place school personnel at risk. Third, teachers and school administrators need to be well-trained and knowledgeable enough to make independent decisions in emergency situations. Fourth, children must know emergency procedures so they may take independent action, given teachers are also at-risk during disasters. Fifth, most school disasters can be prevented through safe school construction. Finally, it is the responsibility of policymakers to ensure schools are safe learning environments for children. By participating in and advocating for a culture of preparedness, educational policymakers can better protect schoolchildren, as well as school personnel, in disaster situations

A critical examination of disasters and individuals with disabilities.

Disaster risk is socially distributed in ways that reflect pre-existing inequalities, in that some groups are more prone to death, injury, economic loss, and psychological impairment in the wake of differing hazards. Although individuals with disabilities are usually considered to be socially vulnerable as well as included as a "special needs" population by emergency managers and planners, little research has focused on the particular needs or impacts of disaster on this population

Concise Encyclopedia of Special Education

Costa Rica is progressive in the area of special education. Special education services were formally established in 1939 when the Fernando Centeno Güell school for children with mental retardation was created near the capital city of San José (Asesoría General de Educación Especial, 1992). Public special education services were first ensured through the Fundamental Law of Education of 1957, which declared that students had the right to a special education, if so needed, the right to special didactic techniques and materials, and that parents had the right to information on how to care for their child

The association of adverse mental health effects with repeated exposure to disasters

BACKGROUND: It has been assumed that the mental health effects of repeated trauma should be incrementally greater than simple additive effects of separate trauma. However, repeated disasters afflicting the same population are uncommon. This study investigated psychiatric disorders following differential exposures to repeated disasters. METHODS: Mental health effects of exposure to repeated disasters of 547 individuals exposed to either flooding, tornadoes, dioxin contamination, and/or radioactive well water. Structured diagnostic interviews assessed prevalence of psychiatric disorders both before and after each of the disasters. A multiple logistic regression model was used to test the association of post-disaster disorders after each flood with the total number of flood exposures, controlling for lifetime pre-disaster disorders. RESULTS: Approximately one-fifth to one-third of the disaster-exposed groups had a psychiatric disorder following exposure to disaster, but disaster-related PTSD and incident psychiatric disorders were nonexistent or rare in both post-disaster periods. Most identified post-disaster psychopathology consisted of alcohol use which predated the disasters. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that alcohol use disorder may be more representative of a risk factor for, rather than an outcome of, flood exposure. This possibility is supported by the very high lifetime pre-flood prevalence of alcohol use disorders in flood plain populations.Research Scientist Award MH 00334, US Public Health Service Grant MH 14677, the MacArthur Foundation Risk Factor Network, NIH grant #R03 MH52481 to Dr. North, and Research Education in Disaster Mental Health Award, Trustees of Dartmouth College 5R25MH068298 through the National Institute of Mental Health to Dr. Stoug