The Project will focus on and target persons who have special needs i.e. persons with intellectual disabilities. The target groups will be recruited from Schools, Homes and institutions that cater to persons with special needs. It is proposed that two hundred and fifty (250) persons benefit from this nine-month intervention.
As a nation prone to many tropical and natural disasters, one of the priority items on the national agenda (policies and plans) is managing and preparing citizens to respond and cope in the event of an emergency. However, this agenda while providing for persons with physical disabilities (and an appreciation that senior citizens and orphaned children may fall into this category) excludes those with intellectual disabilities, namely individuals with mild to severe, chronic disabilities attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments.
The official body charged with emergency management - The Office of Preparedness and Disaster Management (ODPM) focuses on mitigation, preparedness, public education and community outreach. The ODPM’s community preparedness approach encourages communities to develop a plan to assist such persons mentioned above persons during an emergency. Their website identifies persons with special needs as;
“…seniors, individuals who are hearing or mobility impaired, and children who are home alone.”
This classification of persons with special needs does not include all those who have intellectual disabilities. Clearly, there is a need to develop a programme that will address this need and not disadvantage this segment of the population.
Project Goals:
To expose persons with special needs and special needs caregivers and educators - to disaster preparedness and emergency evacuation strategies through a series of workshops.
Project Objectives:
To partner with the Office of Disaster and Preparedness Management (ODPM) in a train-the trainer programme that will train 30 special needs teachers/caregivers in Disaster Preparedness and Evacuation strategies in four -day workshops (24 contact hours).
Subsequent to the train-the-trainer programme the 30 trained special needs teachers/caregivers will train 200 guardians and persons with special needs, in disaster preparedness and emergency evacuation in a 3-month intervention.