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This article outlines lessons learned from 2015 Nepal earthquake that can be applied to future disasters to reduce overall disability-related outcomes and more fully integrate rehabilitation in preparation and planning. Information is presented on disasters in general, and then specficially on the earthquake(s) in Nepal. Field experience in Nepal before, during, and after the earthquake is described, and actions that can and should be adopted prior to disasters as part of disability preparedness planning are examined. Emerging roles of rehabilitation providers such as physical therapists during the immediate and postdisaster recovery phases are discussed. Finally, approaches are suggested that can be adopted to “build back better” for, and with, people with disabilities in postdisaster settings such as Nepal.

Physical Therapy, Volume 96, Issue 11, 1 November 2016, Pages 1714–1723

https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20150677

For the five year period 2016-2020, UNICEF’s Strategy for Health sets two overarching goals: 1. End preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths 2. Promote the health and development of all children. To achieve these goals, the Strategy considers the health needs of the child at all life stages. It highlights the need for intensified efforts to address growing inequities in health outcomes, including a particular focus on addressing gender-specific needs and barriers that may determine whether boys and girls are able to reach their full potential in health and well-being. Working together with global and local partners, UNICEF will promote three approaches to contribute to these goals: addressing inequities in health outcomes; strengthening health systems including emergency preparedness, response and resilience; and promoting integrated, multisectoral policies and programmes. The three approaches described underpin a "menu of actions” from which country offices can select, based on their situation analysis, country programme focus, and context. 

This handbook has been developed specifically for Save the Children programme staff, implementing partners, and practitioners supporting education programmes in any context – development, emergency, or protracted crisis. The Inclusive Education Working Group​ (IEWG) recognized that inclusive education begins with the work being done by education staff in the field, and designed this handbook specifically with them in mind. Guidance has also been structured along the project cycle, so that it may be useful to programmes regardless of their current stage of implementation. This handbook is designed to provide guidance through the different attitudes and barriers that could be causing educational exclusion, as well as to identify key strategies to address them. The project steps are situational analysis, programme design, implementation design, implementation and monitoring, and evaluation and lessons learnt. Case studies presented include: community-based EMIS in Tajikistan; designing for gender equality in Sierra Leone; probing questions lead to deeper analysis and improved programmes (in Uganda); education in emergencies (in Syria); school self-evaluation in Lao PDR. Quick reference charts and further resources are offered for each step

Background paper for the Oslo Summit on Education for Development July 7th, 2015. This paper covers the four topics of the Oslo Summit: investment in education, quality of learning, education in emergencies and girls’ education. The inclusion of children with disabilities is a moral issue as well as an economic and social issue: the costs of exclusion are significant for both for the individual and for society. Disability inclusion should be mainstreamed in all policies and plans. Accessibility standards should be implemented and supported by international development cooperation. Currently, 1/3 of the 58 million out of school children are children with disabilities. Planning and budgeting by national governments and development partners needs to include children with disabilities. There is an immediate need for inclusive reporting and monitoring, for applying disability specific education indicators as well as a need for systematic collection of disaggregated data on disability, age and gender. Keys to achieving quality disability inclusive education include: requiring minimum standards of accessibility for all schools, including in emergency settings; investment in teacher training; ensuring that learning materials/resources are available in accessible formats and are easily adaptable; investment in assistive technology and devices; ensuring participation of Disabled People’s Organisations in education planning and monitoring.

This report assesses current trends in global Disaster Risk Management (DRM) including strategies adopted by different countries and associated costs/risks. The report concludes by advising that global DRM is strengthened in a number of areas, including improvements in the global governance structure surrounding DRM, a deepening of the global knowledge about DRM techniques and practices, and the development of more robust accountability and assessment methodologies

This study sets out the standards concerning the human rights of persons with disabilities in situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, and presents a harmonized understanding of existing international humanitarian law under article 11 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The aim of the study is to clarify the scope of the Convention in the context of ongoing global discussion relating to disasters and humanitarian emergencies, to identify good practices, and to make recommendations

The role of rehabilitation professionals in responding to Sudden Onset Disasters (SODs) is evolving rapidly, and our professions increasingly find themselves at the forefront of emergency response teams. At the same time, there is a movement towards the professionalisation of the humanitarian response sector, in particular Emergency Medical Teams, and a recognition that specialist training is required to prepare professionals for work in an austere humanitarian environment. The intended audience of the manual are physiotherapists and occupational therapists who may deploy to provide rehabilitation in the immediate aftermath of a sudden onset disaster. It was developed to support volunteers on the UK International Emergency Trauma Register (UKIETR), but with the aim of being relevant to all rehabilitation professionals interested in rapid deployment to austere environments. The content is restricted to the context of sudden onset disasters such as an earthquake or tsunami, and has been developed to support work in an austere environment, where the type of equipment and support that is normally available has been disrupted. UKIETR professionals are UK based volunteers who receive specialist training to prepare them for international deployment as part of team in response to emergencies. They may be deployed within a multi-disciplinary foreign medical team in a field hospital scenario, or as part of a more specialist ‘cell’ offering niche medical, surgical or rehabilitation services. The manual is designed to complement the three day core rehabilitation training run by Handicap International which all UKIETR members must attend. It is a clinical manual, and the contents are directly linked to modules taught on the core training course. In addition there are a number of ‘cheat sheets’ and patient education resources at the back of the manual which are designed to be used in the field. Chapters include: rehabilitation and the UKIETR; introduction to rehabilitation following sudden onset disasters; amputee rehabilitation; spinal cord injury; peripheral nerve injury; fractures; burns and soft tissue injury; and acquired brain injury

Introduction: Humanitarian crises continue to pose a significant threat to health; the United Nations estimates that 144 million people are directly affected by conflict or environmental disasters. During most humanitarian crises, surgical and rehabilitative interventions remain a priority.

Objectives: This review assessed the quality of evidence that informs injury and physical rehabilitation interventions in humanitarian crises.

Methods: Peer-reviewed and grey literature sources were assessed in a systematic manner. Selected papers were evaluated using quality criteria based on a modified version of the STROBE protocol.

Results: 46 papers met the inclusion criteria. 63 % of the papers referred to situations of armed conflict, of which the Yugoslav Wars were the most studied crisis context. 59 % of the studies were published since the year 2000. However, only two studies were considered of a high quality.

Conclusions: While there is now a greater emphasis on research in this sector, the volume of evidence remains inadequate given the growing number of humanitarian programmes worldwide. Further research is needed to ensure a greater breadth and depth of understanding of the most appropriate interventions in different settings.

International Journal of Public Health, Vol 60

This is the first Technical Report in a three part series for the two year DFAT Australian Aid funded project (2013-2015), Promoting the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Disaster Management in Indonesia. This report details the mapping of organisations in Indonesia working in disaster risk reduction (DRR). The two year project was concerned with understanding the gaps between disability inclusive policy and practices in DRR and supporting opportunities to include people with disabilities in all phases of disaster risk management. The premise of this work was that reducing the vulnerability of people with disability during disasters is a key strategy to promote broader community resilience

The direct and practical solutions that people with disability can offer to community-level DRR activities should be a key consideration within all phases of disaster risk management. Inclusion of people with disabilities in DRR before, during, and after disasters contributes to the “whole-of-community” approach to disaster resilience advocated in contemporary policy and enacted by DRR agencies. This project was initially framed within an increasing awareness of disability inclusion in DRR globally which is now articulated in the recently issued Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (UNDISR, 2015), and within an increasingly supportive policy environment in Indonesia