The Inbox

Keeping PWDs safe during disasters

By | The Inbox – Mon, Nov 12, 2012

By Jon Benedik Bunquin, VERA Files

Persons with disabilities are among the vulnerable sectors in the Philippines. Their vulnerability becomes all the more evident during disasters. In times like this, PWDs rank third when it comes to assistance from government, behind children and senior citizens.

But when panic and confusion brought by massive floodings and destruction set in, government units sometimes disregard procedure and standards to ensure the safety of PWDs.  This video discusses the special needs of PWDs during emergencies.

Read the script.

The author is a senior journalism student at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He submitted this story for the journalism seminar class "Reporting on Persons with Disabilities" under VERA Files trustee Yvonne T. Chua.

(VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. VERA is Latin for "true.")

Also read:
Bills bat for rights of deaf persons
K-12 to use sign language as mother tongue for deaf

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