Too often, those who most need extra assistance in times of emergency are excluded from the planning process. For children with disabilities and their families, this can result in much higher levels of risk, as they attempt to navigate the actual emergency event and the aftermath.
Looking to help identify what can be done to assist these people, a set of researchers at BMC Public Health have performed a study with the goal of engaging on those who would be supporting these families as to what would best allow them to provide the proper support. Speaking to a combination of health professionals, public safety personnel and first responders, and disability advocates, the study’s goal is to put together a set of recommendations for both planning and policy that would help improve outcomes for these children.
Of the study’s findings, the key items were centered around the importance of collaboration between professional groups, stronger interprofessional networks, and the integration of disability advocates into the interprofessional networks to help bridge gaps and improve understanding.
Source:
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-023-15580-4
