Efforts and Proposals by the Japan Federation of the Blind
Japan Federation of the Blind
(1) Opinion based on overall damage caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake
The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, stole the precious lives of many people and forced numerous others to live as evacuees. Among these, persons with visual impairment were forced to confront various difficulties while trying to evacuate and living in emergency shelters, etc., on account of not being able to see or hard to see. Persons with visual impairment have major handicaps in their daily lives and are unable to freely get around and read and write. Although there are situations when support is reduced because there is a sighted person in the household, it is impossible for a family member to stay with another family member with visual impairment twenty-four hours a day. Persons with visual impairment always have to make a decision to risk their lives when they go outside, and this is no exaggeration. When fleeing during a disaster, that risk is immeasurable. This is the same even if a family member who are sighted accompanies them.
The visual impairment is truly an information handicap. During a disaster, people need information on where emergency shelters are and how to get there. At the emergency shelter, people have to know where and when food is distributed and how to get to and use toilets. After leaving the emergency shelter, people need information on explanatory meetings held by the local government and getting into temporary housing, etc. Even in other situations, such as for work, the majority of information that people need is obtained through their eyes. Persons with visual impairment find it difficult to get this information, which is the cause of many problems. Therefore, during emergencies, which are life-threatening, it is important that persons with visual impairment receive the information they need in a precise way.
The Great East Japan Earthquake showed that the most important point is getting people throughout Japan to properly understand what it means “not to be able to see” or “hard to see”. I would like people to move forward and talk to persons with visual impairment on a regular basis.
Furthermore, it is important that persons with visual impairment themselves try to communicate with people around them and do what they can to get help. When evacuating, it is important that persons with visual impairment tell people helping them and others that they cannot see and request assistance. The bonds that persons with visual impairment develop with neighbors during daily life are important so that they do not lose their precious lives because they are unable to flee disasters due to their visual impairment.
(2) Efforts by the Japan Federation of the Blind
Starting March 14, the beginning of the week after the Great East Japan Disaster, the Japan Federation of the Blind launched a fundraising drive to collect money to support persons with visual impairment and organizations of persons with visual impairment affected by the disaster. In addition to handling donations, the federation confirmed the safety of the Federation's branch organization's members, and also the users of Japan Federation of the Blind's Braille Library. This was not an easy task because some areas lacked phone service, houses had been completely destroyed, and people had fled to emergency shelters.
The Japan Federation of the Blind paid condolence money to member households affected by the disaster in accordance with the rules it had established regarding such payments.
On April 15, the first round of condolence money was paid to member organizations in Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi, Sendai-shi, Fukushima, and Ibaraki. The above member organizations were able to repair equipment such as PCs, computer peripherals, braille printers, shelves, and desks that had been damaged by the disaster.
On April 20, the chair and executive directors visited the Miyagi-ken Shikakushogaisha Fukushikyokai (Miyagi Welfare Association of the Blind) the Sendai-shi Shikakushogaisha Fukushikyokai (Sendai-shi Welfare Association of the Blind), and the Fukushima-ken Mojin Kyokai (Fukushima Association of the Blind) and heard about post-disaster conditions, current problems, and support that would be needed in the future. When visiting the Sendai-shi Training Center of the Japan Guide Dog Association, where the Miyagi office of the Headquarters to Provide Support for Blind People in the Great East Japan Earthquake was located, the chair and executive directors received requests and reports on conditions after the disaster from support providers in the prefecture. Because of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information, local governments would not disclose information such as their registries of persons with a certificate for persons with disabilities, making it initially impossible to check the safety of people who were not members of cooperative disability organizations and welfare facilities.
On May 19, the chair and directors visited the Iwate-ken Shikakushogaisha Fukushikyokai (Iwate Welfare Association of the Blind) and the Iwate Prefectural Information Center for the Visually and Hearing Impaired, and checked on the condition of persons with visual impairment after the disaster, such as organization members in Iwate through end of April. While at the Iwate Prefectural Offices, the group also asked that the government flexibly respond to requests such as those for lists of names so that organizations could provide support and check on people's safety.
On June 28, the group visited the Chiba-ken Shikakushogaisha Fukushikyokai (Chiba Welfare Association of the Blind) and checked on conditions following the disaster including damage that liquefaction had caused to guide blocks (braille blocks).
On August 28, the president, vice presidents, and executive director of the Japan Federation of the Blind held informal discussions with fifteen parties, including the presidents and directors of four organizations and persons with visual impairment affected by the disaster from Iwate, Miyagi, Sendai-shi, and Fukushima, at the Miyagi Information Center for the Visually Impaired, and discussions covered opinions on conditions in the disaster area, future support, and the handling of donations. In addition, the requests received during discussions were compiled into report and submitted to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Financial Services Agency, and Consumer Affairs Agency on September 13, thus delivering the opinion of persons with visual impairment in the disaster area to the government and requesting improvements.
Having been commission to undertake a FY2011 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Integrated Promotion Project for Persons with Disabilities, the Japan Federation of the Blind created the Disaster Prevention and Evacuation Manual for Persons with Visual Impairment, distributed it to local governments throughout Japan and organizations related to persons with visual impairment, and broadly requested that support measures for persons with visual impairment during disasters be developed.
(3) Issues that came to light since directly after the disaster
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, many of the persons with visual impairment who reached emergency shelters immediately after the disaster were helped by either neighbors or work colleagues or were offered help on their way to the shelter. This confirmed the importance of maintaining routine communication with neighbors and building relationships to receive assistance during emergencies.
In addition, this reconfirmed the importance of persons with visual impairment themselves actively taking part in routine disaster prevention training, confirming the location of and way to emergency shelters, and preparing for disasters. It is also important that persons with visual impairment themselves prepare emergency goods and make it possible to receive support by registering with the local government as a “person requiring aid during disasters”.
Joining disability organizations and developing relationships makes it possible to not only obtain important information during daily life but also communicate with persons with the same disabilities regarding various issues such as difficulties while living as an evacuee. Making use of disability organizations and facilities are important ways to make it possible to receive support in emergencies.
Persons with visual impairment face numerous difficulties at emergency shelters where numerous people spend time as evacuees, and these difficulties include getting around inside and outside the shelter, checking the surrounding area, and using toilets. Local governments can establish fukushi (welfare) emergency shelters for persons with disabilities who struggle with living at emergency shelters and reduce their stress by moving them as quickly as possible to such facilities. Since welfare facilities for persons with visual impairment are sometimes designated as fukushi emergency shelter, it is important to check on them with the local welfare section of the community in advance. There are cases when time spent as an evacuee can stretch on for an extended period; therefore, a future issue is developing a system so that facilities at which persons with visual impairment can receive special support can be used as fukushi emergency shelter.
(4) Proposals for the future
Many members of organizations of persons with visual impairment in the disaster area expressed the opinion that they would like a community of persons with visual impairment related to the disaster built. Although some persons with visual impairment who are not members do not want others to know that they have visual impairment, for persons with visual impairment who live in emergency shelters and temporary housing and tend to become isolated, it is important to create places and opportunities for them to get together and to create an environment conductive to talking. It is possible to at least slightly lessen concerns and provide peace of mind by having persons with visual impairment share information on support and discuss issues such as their experiences while living as evacuees and their current disaster-related struggles. As for the question of how people can request support from the government in the future, not trying to solve the problems on their own, it would be possible to provide mental health care for persons with visual impairment affected by a disaster by creating a community in which they cooperate and talk with each other.
Only some persons with visual impairment are now members of related organizations. Making routine use of organizations and facilities for persons with visual impairment during regular life makes it possible not only to receive various services and counseling but also to interact with other persons with visual impairment. This will also broaden friendships and provide opportunities to participate in sports and cultural activities.
Following the Great East Japan Earthquake, it was only possible to confirm the safety of persons with visual impairment affected by the disaster using information such as address records of organizations, facilities users, etc., and many members said that they were happy to receive a call asking if they were alright. Linking persons with visual impairment to not only the government but also organizations and facilities for persons with visual impairment makes it possible to improve routine support during daily life and the support during emergencies.
It is important to create a system so that during disasters, the government and organizations and facilities for persons with visual impairment can work together to undertake activities for persons with visual impairment. It is also important to tie this to a proper understanding of the role of these organizations and facilities and getting more persons with visual impairment to join and make use of these organizations and facilities. In order to provide sufficient support during disasters, organizations of persons with visual impairment themselves have to obtain information on persons with visual impairment in the local community and prepare a system that always makes it possible to undertake support activities and make contact.