ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the consideration and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in humanitarian assistance policy and practice. Thus, during conflict, people with intellectual disabilities may face death, injury, starvation, abandonment, deterioration in quality of life and loss of services, as well as being at risk of verbal, physical and sexual abuse. Despite the fact that people with intellectual disabilities can contribute, as they did to the US war effort during the Second World War as members of the armed forces or workers in war plants, in the post-conflict environment they tend to remain the lowest priority. The people with disabilities may require additional consideration in humanitarian interventions. Many NGOs and international NGOs (INGOs) have policies or stated commitments to promote inclusion. In addition, a number of NGOs with a specific disability focus work in emergency situations, including Handicap International, CBM, and ADD.
