ABSTRACT
Recent events such as the September 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy and the crisis in Syria, provide ample evidence of the loss of lives on a large scale, and the suffering and marginalization of certain groups of people. These emergency situations also have the potential to trigger a chain of events which may have significant long-term political, economic and social consequences, resulting in increased poverty and inequality. This clearly supports the need for well-prepared responses to crises, conflicts and natural disasters. While considerable effort has been expended on developing procedures to detect, respond to and prevent the negative consequences, the needs of vulnerable populations are often ignored in the planning process. Among persons with disabilities the deaf-blind group may possibly experience the greatest challenges in emergencies. The approach to prepare them for emergency situations should take into account all available physical and human resources, as well as the different methodologies available.
