Miyagi Support Center News "Link (Yui)" No. 17, June 2, 2011

“Let’s support our fellows in Tohoku with our bonds of friendship and strengths.”

Issued by the Miyagi Support Center of the Japan Disability Forum (JDF) HQs for the Support of Persons with Disabilities affected by the East Japan Great Earthquake.

Office: c/o Hagi-no-Sato Daini-Hukujyuen, Taihaku-ku, Sendai city.(Since May 1)
Phone and fax: +81-22-244-6965
URL: http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/resource/tohoku_earthquake.html

It is in June now, but many survivors still live in shelters. Moreover, we have many missing persons with disabilities. We are working hard to collect information on such missing persons. Nowadays in each area, some of support centers are re-starting/re-opening their activities little by little. Hereby, we introduce some of activities run by JDF Miyagi Support Center.

Number of visits (on June 3)

Interviews with 1326 persons with disabilities have been done through JDF visits

Local government of Miyagi prefecture had the first talk with disability-related organizations after the disaster

JDF Miyagi Support Center and Association for Aid and Relief (AAR) have joined the talk.

On May 31, Miyagi prefecture government had the first meeting with organization of persons with disabilities and associations of supporters for persons with disabilities at the prefectural office.
The meeting was participated by Councils for Social Welfare of Miyagi, Association of Welfare for Persons with physical disabilities, Inclusion Japan in Miyagi, Association of Welfare for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities of Miyagi, Association for Families of Persons with Mental Disabilities of Miyagi, Association of Miyagi to Support for Survivors with Disabilities, JDF Miyagi Support Center, AAR and Japan Platform.

6 organizations of welfare for persons with disabilities reported on current situation of safety confirmation by each organization, current condition of survivors with disabilities and their families, situation of support centers and faced challenges.
Associations of supporters for persons with disabilities also reported current activities and faced challenges.

Only 35 personnel came to Miyagi as support staff from Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MoHLW)

Miyagi prefectural government reported officially on situation of persons with disabilities who suffered from the disaster. In the report, it was said that 15 persons with disabilities died and 7 were missing. However, the number was too small, comparing with total figure of victims in Miyagi such as 9120 died and 5200 missing.
The number announced at this time was not real figure, but only the number reported to the prefectural government by support centers in Miyagi. Even the prefectural government cannot grasp the real figure of victims with disabilities yet. MoHLW called for helps from all of support centers in Japan, and then about 8000 staffs registered as response. Especially in disability field, 1800 staffs registered as volunteer to help survivors. However, according to the report by Miyagi prefectural government, it is only 35 staffs that were sent to Miyagi.
This mismatch has come from gap between situation of areas hit by the disaster and understanding by MoHLW.
In areas hit by the disaster, most of support centers provided spaces for persons with disabilities and their families to live, and most of the staffs worked without enough rest and sleep, although they were also survivors from the disaster. And so support centers in suffering areas keenly wanted to have extra staffs with experience.
However, MoHLW has made a system that costs for extra staffs should be paid by centers in suffering area, and the amount should be decided through negotiations between donor centers and recipient centers. That’s why it is quite natural that suffering centers rarely apply for extra staffs.

For plan of reconstruction based on concept of CRPD

Miyagi prefecture government announced that they will make their plan for reconstruction by the end of 2011.
The plan of reconstruction is for rebuilding of economy and infrastructure in Miyagi prefecture. It is not only for recovering condition before the disaster, but also building up better society than before. If measures for persons with disabilities are included into reconstruction plan, the plan will be able to reflect the concept of “Society for all to support and share each other” in CRPD. And so it is very important to have participation of persons with disabilities into the process of making reconstruction plan.
At the end of the meeting, it is confirmed to have meetings like this one regularly.

Activity Record

• May 31st: Welfare foundation “Clover” visited and provided a relief fund to us. They visited to Miyagi center as well.
• June 1st: Foundation for Community Promotion of Oro Hyogo and Newspaper of “Kahoku-Shinpo” visited us.
• June 2nd: Sonpo Japan Foundation came for inspection of damage by Tsunami.
• June 3rd: Department for social inclusion in Cabinet Office visited us. We had meeting with Iwate center of Kyosaren.

A word from a member of the survey team

I had never worked as volunteer before, but at this time joined to volunteers of JDF. Although I don’t know the reason clearly, I may feel that I have anything possible for this unimaginable disaster.
Usually volunteer staffs stay for a week, but I could stay to work only for 4 days and join to activities only Saturday and Sunday. And so initially I was going to help secretary job. However, just when I arrived, there was call for staff of woman and I visited shelters in Ishinomaki city for all 2 days.
Especially when I visited to provide goods for support, a 21 years old woman gave a lot of words of “Thank you” and wonderful smiles.
At the orientation meeting when I arrived, I heard that staffs of early days went back their home with disappointment because they were refused strongly at shelters. Indeed, a staff of other group expressed his disappointment due to lack of heart-warming encounter, though he worked at the same time as me. I felt that my experience was a kind of miracle.
I think that steady works by JDF made lots of “Thank you” and wonderful smiles in spite of poor function of public organization due to disaster.
During my participation in this activity, I felt that all of staffs were working for same purpose with solidarity.
There are frequent changes of staff from all of Japan like Okinawa, Hiroshima and so on. In such condition, it is amazing to me that they can have very harmonized work within such short period. That’s why I believe that I could share this impression of mine with other staffs even if I worked as secretary staff.
At the end of this short report, I want to tell that many survivors are waiting for support of JDF staffs even now. Especially, there is lack of staff of women, and so please make your idea realized. I had no experience of volunteer, but I could have feeling of competence. (Form Aichi prefecture)

For better reconstruction of community life of persons with disabilities, we need more people who support our work!!Your cooperation is keenly needed!!!
We are confronted with lack of supporters right now. Needed staffs and jobs are the followings;

1. Supporters of the Miyagi Support center; needs survey through visits to shelters and support centers, meeting needs found and etc.
2. Secretary staffs of the Miyagi Support center; telephone consultation, coordination to meet needs, accountant, administration, general affairs, logistics, public relations, activity report, and etc.
3. Supporters of Northern Miyagi Support Center; survey visits to shelters in Kesen-numa and Minami-Sanriku, and etc.

Translated by Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities
Volunteer translator: Mr. Makoto Kono