Purpose

Vietnam is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to natural disasters. The country suffers from many disasters including floods, storms, tropical depressions, droughts and forest fires. This video looks at the challenges blind people face in disasters and the importance of including them in Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM).

Overview

• Disasters affect everyone and make it especially difficult for vulnerable people, such as the blind, to cope. The blind receive considerable attention from society including the government and the blind association. There are a number of social programmes to help them become independent; however sufficient attention is not paid to their situation in disaster management.
• Blind people have specific needs; but some needs are also common to all of them, such as the need to receive repetitive audible warnings and instructions.
• Vietnam Red Cross considers CBDRM as one of its priorities. They focus on a number of activities: public awareness towards risk mitigation; capacity building activities to train people on essential skills to manage disaster risks; assessments of vulnerability and capacity of the community.
• During the implementation of CBDRM, the Red Cross invites and involves blind people in activities. Through this, blind people share difficulties and obstacles they face in daily life and in disasters.

Usage: Guidance for project implementation, Training

Audiences: Technical staff; Volunteers

Limitation: Audio is not in English

Reference: Netherlands Red Cross Vietnam (20 December 2011). Blind People and Disaster Risk Management. Duration 11.57 minutes [Online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db_PQjtd11I [Accessed: 22nd July 2016].