ABSTRACT
The 2011 disaster in Japan brought together a unique combination of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. It had a huge impact, not only on the affected region, but across the country and throughout the world. It caused many countries to re-assess their preparedness and responses to such multi-faceted disasters. This chapter focuses on the well-documented higher mortality rate among persons with disabilities. While these figures may be specific to Japan, they may also reflect what occurs elsewhere in the world. The finding that persons with disabilities living in the community were harder hit than those in institutions draws attention to the importance of communities becoming more prepared for disasters and particularly to ensure the well-being of persons with disabilities. The national broadcasting service (NHK) was the first to carry out a survey on this important topic for TV features, and to do a follow-up. Mainichi Newspaper also conducted a survey and reported similar findings in October 2011.
