Miyagi Support Center News “Yui (Link)” No.34, August 5, 2011

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

Issued by Japan Disability Forum (JDF) Headquarters for Support of Persons with Disabilities affected by the East Japan Great Earthquake

Offices:
Miyagi Support Center: c/o Hagi-no-sato, Fukushi-kojo, Taihaku-ku, Sendai-shi
Phone: +81-80-4373-6077 Fax: +81-22-244-6965

Miyagi Northern Area Support Center: c/o Wakaba-en, Towa-cho, Tome-shi
Phone: +81-90-8349-9403 Fax: +81-220-45-2223

Website: http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/resource/tohoku_earthquake.html

Visit by a delegation from Ebina City in Kanagawa Prefecture

Photo;Visit by a delegation from Ebina City in Kanagawa Prefecture

On July 30, a delegation visited Miyagi Support Center from Ebina City in Kanagawa Prefecture to observe support measures for persons with disabilities in disaster situation. They told that, in Ebina City, municipal government’s section for welfare of persons with disabilities and DPOs in the city were studying how to organize support measures for persons in need in disaster situations, and this visit is a part of their study. Prior to the visit, a questionnaire was sent to ask many specific questions such as what needs persons with disabilities and their families have, what roles and functions shelters and welfare shelters should play.
In the meeting, their questions included “What is the real situation of children with development disabilities and children with autism as I heard they have difficulties in staying in shelters?”, “Is there a child with intellectual disabilities who lost both parents?”, “Were welfare shelters known in normal times?” City officials asked such concrete question as what information should be on the list of persons in need.
Since persons with disabilities are suffering more than other persons, many questions in the meeting could not be answered easily. We felt that it important to establish a strong system in each community to support vulnerable persons in disaster situation by coordinated efforts of local authority, DPOs, persons with disabilities and their families, as they are doing in Ebina City.

We need supporters for the following activities.

① Visits to detect and respond to needs
② Office work including telephone consultation, clerical work, public relations, accounting and others
Place: Miyagi Support Center (in Sendai-shi), Miyagi Northern Area Support Center (in Tome-shi)

We need more supporters after summer holiday season! Your call will be greatly appreciated.

Reports from a supporter

Photo:A supporter from Aichi Prefecture

(A supporter from Aichi Prefecture worked in HQs from July 15 to 23.)

As a member of JDF Miyagi Support Center, I participated in transportation of goods and observation of affected areas, followed by the activities in Chikyu-Kobo-Mura in Yamamoto-cho. What I saw in the field was the view I would not imagine from where I live. There was a collapsed building with its concrete foundation, a car crashed by an enormous force, a broken power pole, and more. Standing on a foundation left by a washed away house, I was stunned by a long and difficult way to recovery and reconstruction. However, there was a ‘container shopping mall’ where local shop owners reopened their shops by using containers, and there was a center restarted day service for persons with disabilities. Such initiatives made me aware of local people’s strong determination to recovery.

My main activity in Chikyu-mura was production activities with facility’s clients. From conversations with them, I realized their difficulties in temporary houses and their frustration due to the lack of necessary goods for their production activities. The staff members deeply regretted and were frustrated too about the difficulty in providing necessary environment for their clients.
It seemed that necessary goods were already provided barely enough to live. In the days ahead, persons with disabilities and their families in temporary houses will reconstruct their new lives. I believe JDF will be needed more to respond to their anxiety and needs, think with them and support them. I sincerely wish recovery and reconstruction of Tohoku. Thank you very much.

Footmark of the support

A van with a lift was offered!

Photo:A van with a lift

Various supports are offered from all over the country.
On August 2, a van was offered (rented) by Yawata-Sagyosyo (Social Welfare Corporation Hatogamine-Fukushikai) in Kyoto.
Mr. Numata, director of the facility, drove a van by himself all the way from Kyoto to Sendai since there are only 3 staff members in his facility and they are all busy. Mr. Numata said “I wanted to do something if it can be of any help although we cannot dispatch our staff.”, and he went back to Kyoto by Shinkansen super express. All tires and battery were new, and we all appreciated his kindness. Our activities would not be possible without fully utilizing the cars kindly offered by many supporting facilities. Thank you very much.

• Number of dialogues with persons with disabilities (up to August 3): 1,436 persons
• Number of supporters (up to August 3): 561

Translated by Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities
Volunteer translator: Mr. Shintaro Nakamura