Needs of disabled must be taken into consideration

People with disabilities should be given the opportunity to participate and express their needs at every stage of disaster risk management from preparedness to post disaster rehabilitation, said speakers at a discussion yesterday.

They were speaking at the opening session of the three-day Dhaka Conference on Disability & Disaster Risk Management.

Besides, natural and man-made disasters often disable people physically, mentally and economically, said speakers at the conference hosted by the disaster management and relief, social welfare and women and children's affairs ministries with the Center for Disability in Development (CDD), the National Forum of Organisations Working with the Disabled (NFOWD), and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) at Krishibid Insititution Bangladesh in the capital.     

It is important to listen to the experience of survivors of disasters before planning for it, said Saima Hossain, member of Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health of World Health Organization (WHO) and chairman of National Advisory Committee on Autism and Neuro-developmental Disorders, presenting the keynote speech.

"Crises, Conflict and Disability: Ensuring Equality" (Routledge Advances in Disability Studies, 2014 publication) which includes Saima's article on "Disability in Bangladesh: The Evolution of Programmes and Services" was launched at the inaugural ceremony.

Disaster Management and Relief minister Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya attended the programme as chief guest which was chaired by Secretary to the social welfare ministry Tariq-Ul-Islam.

Over 400 people registered for the conference, and of them 34 percent are persons with disabilities, 28 percent are women and about 70 people are from 22 countries. The conference will have nine sessions.