Need to recognise capacities of persons with disabilities and all vulnerable groups ( children, women, elderly, linguistic and cultural minorities)

• Not just evacuation planning, Preparedness Planning and Response must be sensitive to and respond to special needs of vulnerable groups
• Such approach should also be followed in disaster recovery, mitigation and reduction
• Approach should be rights based rather than only humanitarian or humanist
• Disaster reduction professionals need to understand and empathise with vulnerable groups and these groups need to sensitise and advocate on their special needs and capacities
• Build and learn from Success stories and experiences about what worked and what did not in earlier disasters
• Learn from good work done by HelpAge, Save the Children and child rights groups, womens and minorities movement
• Make use of FEMA and PAHO Guidelines