The World Health Organization estimates that now roughly 1.3 billion people suffer from some form of disability and warns that disability prevalence is on the rise. However, the exact statistics on various types of disability are not available. No study has been done so far that defines the number of disabled persons by type. People who are deaf, blind, deafblind, intellectually challenged, and physically challenged are all categorized as disabled. . . This lack of detailed information often leads to a generalized approach to disability while ignoring the differences among different groups of people with disabilities. Furthermore, as climate related catastrophes increase in number annually, it is important to consider the ways in which such disasters add to the number of disabled people globally while our present policies largely ignore the needs of variously disabled people and how to keep them safe during such emergencies.
Given these understanding it should be clear that both climate change and disability awareness concerns and should concern everyone. While certainly, climate change endangers us all, we must confront the fact that the disasters it causes poses even more risks to the lives of disabled persons and in very particular ways for those who are deaf. Alerts for emergencies and disasters include sound elements such as bells and audio-relayed announcements. This is obviously not helpful for individuals who cannot hear such alerts. Deaf people may not get such vital messages if not communicated through sign language or written messages.
Maui Fires
One such example of this issue can be highlighted through the case of the Maui fires of 2023. They were devastating in so many ways and individuals with disabilities were caught off-guard during these fires. As a Deaf person, I rely on Facetime and other video messaging options to communicate with my friends and family. On August 8th, 2023 I was celebrating my 46th birthday at home in Virginia. My best friend, who is also Deaf, was visiting Maui with her family. That afternoon she called me on Facetime to wish me a happy birthday. She was on the beach near Lahaina getting ready to play beach volleyball with some friends. During our phone call, I saw a dark ball of clouds in the distance behind her. I asked her “is someone burning trash?” She looked around and said “no, but it sure smells like something is burning.” I told her to go check it out and call me back to let me know when things improve. Two days passed and I did not hear back from her. I felt something was terribly wrong and I was worried. My mind bounced back and forth as I conjured up frightful scenarios…perhaps she had been bitten by a shark, maybe she was in a car accident. And, as I attempted to calm my fears I also thought maybe she just forgot to charge her phone. However, as I turned on the TV to watch the Nightly News with Lester Holt at 7 pm, as I usually do, the breaking news splashed across the screen “Massive fires in Maui.” My heart sank.
Weeks later, my friend recalled the horrifying ordeal. After we had ended our call that day she had returned to her vacation rental in Lahaina and moments later she saw people rushing, screaming, and jumping into cars. A young man summoned her and motioned her to get into his car. However, the traffic was at a standstill and the fire was fast approaching. That is when they realized that if they remained in the car they ran the very real risk that they would be burned alive. They quickly decided to jump out of the car and follow others who were jumping over the sea wall and diving into the ocean to avoid getting burned. They helped others who were jumping over the firewall to escape the blazing fire that destroyed everything: houses, trees, cars, and buildings, nothing was spared.
While my friend considers herself lucky to have been alerted and assisted so quickly, we both continuously wonder what happened to other disabled residents and visitors in Maui that day? What, if any, emergency protocols were in place in the event of a disaster for disabled persons?
Disability advocates have stressed that people with disabilities are 1.5 to 4 times more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and other environmental changes. They often ask, “What about us?” To exclude people with disabilities from such meaningful discussions is not a mere oversight but a structural erasure. People with disabilities have been found to face various challenges to finding safety during emergencies. These include barriers to accessing evacuation routes, a lack of effective means of communication during disasters and a lack of appropriate support services during and after a disaster. This not only puts their lives at risk but also reinforces disparities.
During a local news conference in Hawai’i, government officials attempted to explain why the fires happened and why they took so long to respond to the disaster. The same young man who assisted my best friend was in the audience at one such press conference and asked them, “What protocols do you have in place for people with disabilities, particularly the deaf? I had to help a Deaf woman escape.” The response was, no pun intended, extremely tone deaf. The government official stated, “That is why we have extra loud sirens in place, she should have escaped when she heard the sirens.”
This level of ineffectiveness and compassion cannot continue. Local counties, governments, and organizations can enact laws and practices to ensure deaf persons are not left behind during disaster. These might include:
- Awareness and Communication
It is recommended that authorities and heads of the community engage the local Deaf community in building awareness and opening lines of communication. Local counties must guarantee relevant disaster preparedness, encompassing the provision of sign language interpreters in disaster warning announcements and broadcasts. By engaging the local Deaf community, Maui officials could have asked if providing extra loud sirens would be helpful or not. This couldn’t be more simple…ask the community what will work!
The Deaf community can provide a plethora of suggestions: bright flashing lights on every street corner; providing a flashing device to put in cars so the deaf person will know to pull aside and check their text messages for alerts; providing written communication, or video communication with subtitles; producing sign language videos: and sharing these messages widely across T.V., social media networks and mobile emergency applications is essential.
Further, the public must be informed about the requirements of deaf persons during emergencies, which will help society be more tolerant and responsive. When the Maui fires stopped and disaster relief was available, many Deaf residents wished the local news had sign language interpreters announcing where they could seek help for housing and food as just like numerous others they too had lost everything in the fires.
Finally, many local officials in Maui had no idea they even had deaf residents in their town. This is a key area that I have noticed is often lacking – a database for the deaf. This database could be a checkmark or a highlighted note indicating which of their residents are deaf. For example, Mary and Mark Doe, 12 Happy Lane, both deaf. In the event of the text-based alerts failing due to technology challenges, local first responders could, if possible, physically drive to the home to alert or rescue the couple, or local governments could work on creating community networks of care to ensure neighbors are aware that they have people in their community who may need to be alerted.
- Technology and Resources
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an app that allows all users to register. I only discovered this app recently at a local community fair after I visited the FEMA booth out of curiosity! I wish this app was advertised across all social media platforms and on local televisions/news outlets. By registering, users are able to access a wide range of information including shelter information, how to plan for a disaster, and prepare for recovery. The recovery information is crucial as it provides an individual the ability to create an alert, upload photos or documents of damage, and check on the progress of their request for assistance. The app can be downloaded from Apple and Android app stores.
- Training and Inclusion
One of the main strategies needed for proper disaster management that helps people who are deaf is increased training of emergency planners, coordinators, and leaders to exert more effort in including deaf persons. In addition, public awareness campaigns and educational programs may reduce the vulnerability and enhance the preparedness of the whole society, and, at the same time, make deaf persons understand the conditions they need to meet during emergencies. When my local community is sending out hurricane or tornado warnings, I like to receive this information via a sign language interpreter. This helps me to fully understand the complex nature of the disaster and what I can do to escape. It is also important to have visual photos of step-by-step procedures on how to escape during a disaster as a poster board or on a brochure to provide to Deaf community members. This serves as a constant visual reminder of how to prepare for disaster.
- Community Engagement and Support Networks
The heart of sharing information about natural disasters and how to prepare is reaching out to the community. Nondisabled persons must begin widening their scope of who is included in their communities. As a Deaf person, I enjoy attending the same locally hosted events as my neighbors. These events are an opportunity to connect with your neighbors and members of the community. If you see a Deaf person at your local community event, reach out to them and ensure they feel welcomed. If you know in advance they are deaf and extend an invitation to them, ask them if they would be comfortable with having a sign language interpreter. If the budget is not available and there is a local sign language interpreting program, reach out to them and ask if any of their students might be willing to volunteer to assist with communicating. If the Deaf person is not a sign language user, ask community members to volunteer by having someone type notes/ messages for deaf persons.
- Policy and Advocacy
Last, but not least, promoting deaf sensitive policies at the community, state, and national levels is equally essential. It will ensure long-term support for people who are deaf in cases of disasters. Laws and regulations should guarantee sign language interpreting in all emergency communications and ensure that emergency services possess and provide accessible means of communication. In addition, funding should be provided to guarantee that deaf people will have access to essential tools and equipment to enable them to fully engage with the world around them.
As we face new challenges associated with climate change, it will be important for all of us to ask ourselves what kind of stewards we want to be for our planet and for one another. With 1 in 6 people living with some form of disability and global climate disasters on the rise, continuing to ignore both issues is not a sustainable or humane response. Further, much research shows that when we focus our policies on including those with disabilities, life for everyone as a whole gets better. We must begin to both think deeply about our impact on the planet, while at the same time implementing strategies that recognize all of us as important, valuable, and worthy members of our community. I’m getting ready for change, are you?
Dr. Danielle Thompson is originally from the beautiful islands of Trinidad and Tobago. She serves as an Associate Professor at Gallaudet University and is a Nationally Certified Counselor and School Counselor. With a passion for advocacy for social justice and human rights, Danielle specializes in Refugee and Migrant Studies, Disaster Risk and Reduction for disabled communities and mental health, and exploring best practices in early intervention and early childhood education.
