Disabled Individuals in Disasters and the Roles of Social Work in the Light of Americans with Disabilities Act

Abstract

Disasters do not affect all individuals in society equally; disabled individuals are disproportionately exposed to disaster risks due to persistent accessibility barriers, the disruption of support networks, evacuation challenges, and constrained access to essential services. Incorporating the specific challenges faced by disabled individuals—spanning pre-disaster preparedness, emergency response, and post-disaster recovery—is paramount for developing inclusive and rights-based disaster management frameworks. This review study aims to evaluate the primary difficulties encountered by disabled individuals during disasters, identify the core components of disability-sensitive disaster management, and delineate the roles and functions of the social work profession within this context. The study explores the multifaceted inequalities disabled individuals experience, such as barriers to information and preparedness pre-disaster; complications in evacuation, communication, and safety during a disaster; and limited access to shelter, rehabilitation, psychosocial support, and social services post-disaster. Furthermore, it emphasizes the imperative of ensuring the active participation of disabled individuals as key stakeholders in disaster management planning and decision-making mechanisms. Within this framework, it is demonstrated that the social work profession significantly contributes to the empowerment of disabled individuals through its diverse functions, including counseling, resource management, advocacy, education, coordination, and policy planning. In conclusion, developing disability-sensitive, accessible, and rights-based disaster management practices is essential for enhancing the resilience of disabled individuals and mitigating systemic social inequalities in the face of disasters.