The Rights of People with Disabilities in Disasters & Public Health Emergencies

While specific laws and enforcement vary by country, there are some international protections for people with disabilities.

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

From the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) page:

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol (A/RES/61/106) was adopted on 13 December 2006 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and was opened for signature on 30 March 2007. There were 82 signatories to the Convention, 44 signatories to the Optional Protocol, and 1 ratification of the Convention. This is the highest number of signatories in history to a UN Convention on its opening day. It is the first comprehensive human rights treaty of the 21st century and is the first human rights convention to be open for signature by regional integration organizations. The Convention entered into force on 3 May 2008.

The Convention follows decades of work by the United Nations to change attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities. It takes to a new height the movement from viewing persons with disabilities as “objects”  of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing persons with disabilities as “subjects” with rights, who are capable of claiming those rights and making decisions for their lives based on their free and informed consent as well as being active members of society.

The Convention is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension. It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms. It clarifies and qualifies how all categories of rights apply to persons with disabilities and identifies areas where adaptations have to be made for persons with disabilities to effectively exercise their rights and areas where their rights have been violated, and where protection of rights must be reinforced.

The Convention has 50 Articles, which cover: equality and nondiscrimination, women with disabilities, children with disabilities, awareness-raising, accessibility, right to life, situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, equal recognition before the law, access to justice, liberty, integrity, and security of person, freedom from torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, freedom from exploitation, violence and abuse, liberty of movement and nationality, independent and community living, personal mobility, freedom of expression, access to information, respect for privacy, home, and family, education health, habilitation and rehabilitation, employment, adequate standard of living, participation in politics, public life, cultural life, recreation, and sports, and implementation details, including statistics and reports.

Disaster-specific guidance:

Article 11 – Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies states that nations must take “all necessary measures to ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters.”

New guidance on national CRPD reporting for Article 11 on situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies is now available. The document aims toprovide persons with disabilities, OPDs and other civil society organisations with practical support to analyse and report on the implementation of Article 11 of the CRPD at national level.It also provides a horizon scanning of legal frameworks applying at international level, and other relevant reporting mechanisms.

Link to new guidance on CRPD Article 11- Situations of Risk and Humanitarian Emergencies

Article 19 – Living independently and being included in the community recognizes the right of people with disabilities to live in their communities with the appropriate supports. The article states, “Community services and facilities for the general population are available on an equal basis to persons with disabilities and are responsive to their needs”, which can reasonably be applied to community shelters and services established to address a disaster or emergency situation.

Article 21 – Freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information states that people with disabilities are entitled to the “freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas on an equal basis with others and through all forms of communication of their choice”, which includes information about emergencies and disasters. This provision includes:

a) Providing information intended for the general public to persons with disabilities in accessible formats and technologies appropriate to different kinds of disabilities in a timely manner and without additional cost;

b) Accepting and facilitating the use of sign languages, Braille, augmentative and alternative communication, and all other accessible means, modes and formats of communication of their choice by persons with disabilities in official interactions;

c) Urging private entities that provide services to the general public, including through the Internet, to provide information and services in accessible and usable formats for persons with disabilities;

d) Encouraging the mass media, including providers of information through the Internet, to make their services accessible to persons with disabilities;

e) Recognizing and promoting the use of sign languages.

In addition to the Convention, there is an accompanying agreement, the Optional Protocol, that lays out additional protections for people with disabilities, to be signed and ratified separately by nations who have already signed and ratified the Convention.

For a full list of signatories and ratifications/accessions by country visit the respective links to the United Nations Treaty Collection website:

Convention signatories & ratifications | Optional Protocol signatories & ratifications

Full text of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities:

• Convention and Optional Protocol: English [CRPD, English – Accessible PDF] [CRPD, English – Word]
• Convention and Optional Protocol: Français [CRPD, Français – Print PDF] [CRPD, Français – Word]
• Convention and Optional Protocol: Español [CRPD, Español – Print PDF] [CRPD, Español – Word]
• Convention and Optional Protocol: عربي [CRPD, عربي – Print PDF] [CRPD, عربي – Word]
• Convention and Optional Protocol: Русский [CRPD, Русский – Print PDF] [CRPD, Русский – Word]
• Convention and Optional Protocol:汉语 [CRPD, 汉语 – Print PDF] [CRPD, 汉语 – Word]

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction

The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework) is a 15-year agreement with 7 targets and 4 priorities for action which aim to achieve the substantial reduction of disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods, and health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets of persons, businesses, communities and countries.

The Sendai Framework is the first major agreement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and is monitored through one global and seven regional biennial events known as the Global and Regional Platforms for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The aim of the Platforms are to review progress, share knowledge and discuss the latest developments and trends in reducing disaster risk. The outcomes of the Global Platform inform the deliberations of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

The framework was adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a successor to the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015: Building the Resilience of Nations and Communities to Disasters, and places the responsibility of disaster risk reduction on the State, with support from local governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders.

The 4 priorities of the agreement include:

1. Understanding disaster risk
2. Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk
3. Investing in disaster risk reduction for resilience
4. Enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response and to “Build Back Better” in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction

The Sendai Framework also includes 7 Global Targets to be achieved by 2030, which will be measured :

1. Reduce disaster mortality
2. Reduce the number of affected people globally
3. Reduce direct economic loss in relation to GDP
4. Reduce disaster damage to critical infrastructure and disruption of basic services
5. Increase the number of countries with national and local disaster risk reduction strategies
6. Substantially enhance international cooperation to developing countries
7. Increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems

For more information about the implementation of the Sendai Framework, visit the United Nation Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) website.

Download the full text of the Sendai Framework:

[Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, English] [Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, Arabic] [Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, Chinese] [Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, French] [Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, Russian] [Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030, Spanish]

Dhaka Declaration

The Dhaka Declaration is a practical guideline for states to implement and report on Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Sustainable Development Goals on the inclusion of persons with disabilities.

Dhaka Declaration, 2015

Dhaka Declaration, 2018

The Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action

The Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action was developed in advance of the World Humanitarian Summit (23 and 24 May 2016, Istanbul) by over 70 stakeholders from States, UN agencies, the international civil society community and global, regional and national organizations of persons with disabilities. Charter endorsers commit to render humanitarian action inclusive of persons with disabilities, by lifting barriers persons with disabilities are facing in accessing relief, protection and recovery support and ensuring  their participation in the development, planning and implementation humanitarian programs.

Links to resources on the inclusion of people with disabilities in humanitarian action:

Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action website

Guidelines – Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities In Humanitarian Action (PDF)

IASC Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings

2019 Case study report – collection of case studies on how to include persons with disabilities in humanitarian action

Humanitarian inclusion standards for older people and people with disabilities

Hands-On Humanitarian Tool (HHOT) – Step-by-step practical guidance on inclusive humanitarian fieldwork

United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy

The United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) represents a comprehensive strategy for ensuring that the United Nations system is fit for purpose in relation to disability inclusion. It provides a foundation for sustainable and transformative progress on disability inclusion through all pillars of the United Nations’ work.

Link to UNDIS (PDF)

For a full list of disability rights laws by country, we recommend the International Laws page from our colleagues at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF).