3. Mindset Change

Example 2: "Informed Decision Making" for the Whole Community Disaster Risk Reduction

▪Before 3.11: Register for helpers at disasters: did not work
⇒After 3.11: Preparedness for timely "Informed Decision Making" for survival

Lessons of 3.11:

• Death rate of persons with disabilities was believed to be two times.

• Those who started evacuation from tsunami hit zone could survive.

• Survival from a mega disaster, such as 11th March 2011 Tsunami, which hit 300 km coastal area, requires community level preparedness for mutual help for survival because no rescue team was available when everybody was struggling for survival.

• As hundreds of community based rescue operators were killed in operation, rescue teams are requested to secure their safety first. ⇒ Everybody in the community including persons with disabilities and old aged people in Japan are requested to prepare for survival.

• Libraries in Japan are archiving memories and lessons learned from 3.11 to share now and with future generations across the world but accessibility is not well implemented.