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This report has two main aims: to highlight the need for physical therapist involvement in disaster management and particularly in Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs); and to brief physical therapists who want to work in the field, and national and international agencies who are already working in the field. Following an introduction to the topic of disasters, the paper outlines in separate sections the three phases of disaster management most relevant to physical therapists: preparedness; response; and recovery. Each section includes information on the role of physical therapists and details guidelines and resources to support practice in disaster management. Case studies include: Nepal, 2015 April earthquake; 2011- great East Japan earthquake; integration of rehabilitation professionals into the UK Emergency Medical Team; Nepal, 2011 onwards; Phillipines, typhoon Sendong, 2011;  Phillipines, typhoon Haiyan, November 2013; Haiti, 2011- physical therapy in post-earthquake recovery and reconstruction; Pakistan, earthquake Oct 2005; Phillipines, typhoon Bopha 2012-2013.

The capacity building model develops DPOs that represent people with disability. The capacity building support at all levels is based on a core understanding of what is a good DPO and strengthened by a needs based approach to individual organisations.

This learning paper focuses on our work to improve sanitation for women and children with disabilities living in extreme poverty in Bangladesh.

The aim of 'Voices of the Marginalised' is to bring the perspectives of those who live in poverty or who are highly marginalised, including those with disabilities, older people and people living with mental health problems, into post-2015 policymaking. Focusing on Bangladesh and Tanzania, people with disabilities and older people were asked to become researchers themselves, and were trained to collect and analyse stories from peers in rural and urban areas.

This editorial reviews the lessons learned from the 2005 Pakistan earthquake and other lessons learned including the recent Nepal earthquake in order to better understand appropriate disaster response strategies from a disability and rehabilitation perspective

Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, Vol.65, No.10

This publication is a collection of essays from Equality and Diversity Forum and EDF Research Network Beyond 2015 project. It presents a collection of articles about three main concepts: equality, human rights and social justice in the United Kingdom. The collection principally serves to describe levers for change and scenarios where equality and human rights could be promoted

“The expert group was formed to address this challenge, bringing together UN experts to review evidence on mental well-being and disability related to disasters, share lessons learned and best practices, and develop recommendations for mainstreaming these issues in Disaster Risk Education.” This UN University report illustrates how disability and mental health should be highlighted as a priority in disaster risk reduction planning and execution. In addition, the group responsible for the report suggest that disability and mental health be integrated into any future discussions related to security and human rights. Finally, the group recommended that a United Nations working group be established to explore the ways in which policies and action effect or how these individuals can affect policy within the United Nations. 

A thematic literature review of the impact of CommunityBased Rehabilitation (CBR) in low to middle-income countries was conducted. The review covered the period from 2002 to 2012, and the CBR Matrix was utilised to provide structure for the evidence. Seven studies that investigated the impact of CBR interventions in developing countries were included. A modified harvest plot was used to summarise the strength and nature of evidence provided in relation to the CBR Matrix. Quantitative studies tended to focus on the Health domain, while qualitative studies generally focussed on the Social and Empowerment domains. No evidence of CBR impact was found in the Education domain, and very little evidence was found pertaining to Livelihood. Overall, the evidence base related to the impact of CBR remains limited, both in terms of quantity and robustness of design.

Disability, CBR and Inclusive Development (DCID), Vol 26, No 2

Issues concerning individuals with disabilities are under-researched in Africa, and persons with disabilities remain some of the most highly disadvantaged groups. In an increasing era of globalization, partnerships across borders and boundaries to conduct disability research is inevitable. Yet, such partnerships might be complicated by issues such as unequal power dynamics, poverty, and cultural misunderstandings, among others. In this article, the authors reflect upon their experience partnering for disability research across cultures, with one author being a Congolese person with a disability and the other being a Canadian ally. They discuss the nature of their research relationship, challenges they faced while conducting a seven-month study of personhood and support for people with intellectual disabilities in Kinshasa, and how they addressed these challenges. They also outline lessons learned from this partnership and how their past experience collaborating for disability research will shape their future endeavours.

Disability and the Global South (DGS), 2015, Vol. 2 No. 3