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<b style="font-size:14pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color:rgb(0,32,96)">14<sup style="">th</sup> October 2019</span></b></p>
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<b style="font-size:14pt"><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height:107%; color:rgb(47,84,150)">PRESS RELEASE</span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14.0pt; line-height:107%; color:#2F5496"><span style="font-size:16pt">International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction</span></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14pt">Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) in celebrating the international day for disaster risk reduction, calls for the adoption of an accessible standard in the region to ensure
that persons with disabilities are not left behind in disasters situation. The theme of this year’s International Day for DRR which is celebrated every year on the 13<sup style="">th</sup> of October is “Reducing disaster damage to critical infrastructure
and limiting the disruption of basic services”. Critical infrastructure includes schools and hospitals while basic services include potentially life-saving utilities such as food, water, energy, telecommunications, and transportation. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14pt">In 2018 a needs assessment conducted by PDF, CBM New Zealand and disabled persons organisations (DPOs) in Tonga after the devastation of TC Gita, highlighted physical
barriers encountered by persons with disabilities prevented them from accessing key services in the response. A number of respondents reported that physical barriers prevented access to facilities and services provided in the response, such as evacuation centres,
meetings and aid distribution sites. The barriers included lack of accessible transport to evacuation centres such as privately owned vehicles or public transport, lack of accessible evacuation centre building structures including WASH facilities, inaccessible
information and a lack of partitioning for privacy. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14pt">Similarly in 2016, UNICEF funded TC Winston needs assessment for persons with disabilities conducted by PDF and its DPOs in Fiji in Fiji highlighted the low number of
persons with disabilities that actually turned up to evacuation centres. It was noted in the assessment that only 45 of the 963 persons with disabilities that were assessed were able to go into an evacuation centre.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14pt">In 2015, a research conducted by CBM Australia together with the DPO in Vanuatu after TC Pam highlighted that 74% of women with disabilities reported barriers to accessing
evacuation centres. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14pt">These barriers and challenges experienced by persons with disabilities in these different disaster contexts accentuate that actions towards guaranteeing that persons with
disabilities are not left behind is inevitable. </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14pt">PDF reiterates that an accessibility standard is crucial for the region to ensure that critical infrastructure such as schools and public buildings which are mostly used
for evacuation centres and to temporary set up essential basic services are #BuildToLast for everyone without discrimination, exclusion and guaranteeing that no human being a left behind. Adopting the accessibility standard will strengthen governments and
other stakeholders’ implementation of Target D of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 to 2030.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14pt">PDF in collaboration with key stakeholders in the region is currently developing an accessibility blueprint for the Pacific. The blueprint is aimed to guide national government to ensure that building
codes and other infrastructural guideline are inclusive of the needs of persons with disabilities and guaranteeing that we are not leaving anyone behind in our move towards an inclusive and accessible Blue Pacific for all.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:14pt">PDF will continue to work with key stakeholders in the region to ensure that Pacific persons with disabilities rights are protected and enjoyed on an equal basis with other Pacific islanders.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal; text-align:center"><b><span lang="EN-GB">Media contact:</span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal; text-align:center"><span lang="EN-GB">Setareki Macanawai<br>
Chief Executive Officer<i><br>
</i>ceo@pacificdisability.org <br>
+679 331 2008/ 9921486<i></i></span></p>
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