What to do - Assistance to disabled people

Giving assistance to people with disabilities in emergency situations requires some special precautions.

These suggestions can and should be of everyone's interest, even if in our family do not live people with disabilities:in emergency it is highly possible to rescue not only their family but also friends, colleagues, acquaintances, neighbours, classmates, strangers who may need help. It is good that everyone has at least the basics for giving assistance to disabled people.

If people with disabilities live with you and your family

• Review the plans - municipal, school, place of work - paying attention to aspects that may be crucial for the relief to people with disabilities to have no uncertainties in managing your situation
• Information on the location of the main architectural barriers in your area - stairs, steps, bottlenecks, barriers perceptual -. Are hurdles for evacuation
• Promote active participation of the disabled person within the limits of their possibilities to fuel their confidence in overcoming the situation and avoid wasted time and unnecessary actions
• Install warning signals - acoustic, optical, mechanical, tactile and so on. - that can be understood by the disabled person because it is possible to react individually, within the limits of their capabilities, during the emergency
• Locate at least a possible escape route accessible to a safe place, avoiding to improvise in time of danger

During the emergency

• Promote active participation of the disabled person within the limits of their possibilities to fuel their confidence in overcoming the situation and avoid wasted time and unnecessary actions
• Install warning signals - acoustic, optical, mechanical, tactile and so on. - that can be understood by the disabled person because it is possible to react individually, within the limits of its capabilities, emergency
• Locate at least a possible escape route accessible to a safe place, avoiding to improvise in time of danger