CDEMA to Host Live Panel Discussion on Disability and Disasters



The panel discussion will be held under the theme “Disability and Disasters - A Not So Obvious Conversation” and will be broadcast on the CARIBVISION television channel.

Persons living with disabilities are often marginalized and neglected by society and are among the most vulnerable when disaster strikes. This year with the theme Disability and Disasters - A Not So Obvious Conversation, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) has turned its focus on some one billion people or 15% of the global population who live with some form of disability. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the disabled account for approximately 10% of the region’s population according to a World Bank Fact Sheet. This is believed to be a conservative number since availability of statistics on persons living with disabilities is limited. Population ageing and increasing chronic health conditions are also among the contributing causes to disability and this is indicative of an increasing disabled population.

This discussion on International Day for Disaster Reduction will provide an opportunity for increasing public awareness on disability and disasters and for sharing stories and information on ongoing measures that address the special needs of the disabled in disaster scenarios.

The high level panel will comprise Mr. Ronald Jackson, Executive Director of CDEMA; Mr. Stephen O'Malley, Resident Representative, UNDP; Ms Judy Thomas, Director of the Department of Emergency Management; the Honourable Senator Ms. Kerryann Ifill, President of the Barbados Council for the Disabled; and Mr. Jeffrey James, the Regional Director of HelpAge International.

Members of the live audience and viewers at home will be able to pose questions to the panel and offer comments during the programme. Participation will be facilitated via the following channels:

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Telephone Numbers: Callers from Barbados 1-246-467-1046
Callers external to Barbados 1-855-213-7500

For more information, please contact:
Tara Gaskin
Marketing Specialist
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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