News Details

13 October marks the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, a UN initiative with the motto ‘Resilience Starts at Home’ in 2026, highlighting the importance of ensuring safe, accessible and at-risk-ready housing.

The house is one of the first spaces where the effects of an emergency can be felt, but it is also a fundamental starting point for prevention and preparedness. Knowing the risks of the area of residence, understanding official warnings, organizing essential goods and defining in advance the procedures to be adopted are measures that can contribute to a more effective response.

Disaster risk reduction also requires consideration of the different needs of the population. Persons with disabilities may face barriers in accessing information and alert systems, as well as in evacuation routes, transport and support mechanisms during an emergency.

In this context, accessibility, inclusive communication and participation of persons with disabilities should be integrated from the outset in the planning and implementation of prevention and response measures.

A community is more resilient when everyone has access to information, can participate in decisions and can protect themselves in emergencies.

The Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (IDiPD) is associated with this date, reaffirming the importance of mainstreaming the rights of persons with disabilities at all stages of disaster risk reduction: prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

Further information can be found on the United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction page: https://iddrr.undrr.org/