One of the longest running struggles which we see in the news, and indeed wider media, is the
question of what aid is being rendered to disabled people in crisis zones. The recent conflicts in
the Middle East, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine have served to highlight an ongoing
inequality between the people who have a disability and people who don’t with regards to what
humanitarian and emergency aid they receive.
Unfortunately, a large number of people find that during an emergency situation, their disability
will send them to the back of the priority list for evacuations, support and even basic help. It is
an ongoing struggle, and one which we find hard to understand. Pretend for a moment that
there was a person in a crisis zone who needed specialist equipment like a mobility scooter to
get around. If the area they live in is attacked by bombings or terrorist forces, they can find
themselves trapped in a dangerous situation with no chance of safely escaping. However, even
when aid comes, they may not get any semblance of mobility back.
As disability experts in the Gold Coast area, we’re often left to watch these conflicts and ponder
what the implications will be for the countless individuals who have a physical disability, be it a
mobility problem or something like physical blindness. Are they receiving the support they
need? We aren’t sure.
Now, obviously, what we are saying isn’t to disparage the work of soldiers and aid groups who
put themselves at risk to help those affected by a conflict or crisis. These brave people deserve
all the support we can give them, but our concern is with those who need extra help but may not
feel like they’re getting it.
It’s possible that we could try and improve the situation by sending relief to countries with
disability-friendly resources available, but this would require us to address another issue – a lack
of real data surrounding people with disabilities. It’s true that we don’t have comprehensive data
on the number of people who have disabilities and where they are located in each country.
However, this is something which actively needs to be improved, so perhaps with enough time
and forward planning, we will get there.
Ultimately, we believe that there isn’t enough support when it comes to people living in crisis
situations, but with a little bit of time and some real change, this could be fixed. There needs to
be a proper response for anybody who is living in a crisis situation, and a focus on making sure
that they get the support they require. Naturally, this is a committed effort that will require a little
bit of coordination between multiple parties, but it’s worth it in the end. We definitely have to do
more for people who struggle with disabilities during a crisis situation, because everybody
deserves access to support and aid during difficult times.