Disaster Relief and Crisis Intervention with Deaf Communities: Lessons Learned from the Japanese Deaf Community

ABSTRACT

During natural disasters and crises, the deaf and hard of hearing community might not have full accessibility to all of the information shared with the larger hearing community. This could be due to the lack of awareness among social work professionals about these cultural and linguistic needs of this minority population. The purpose of this article is to explore the challenges faced by the deaf community and to discuss culturally and linguistically appropriate crisis intervention and mobilization to natural disaster situations based on the experiences of the Japanese deaf communities affected by the Kobe and Tohoku earthquakes.

KEYWORDS:

• Accessibility
• crisis intervention
• crisis mobilization
• cultural and linguistic needs
• deaf communities
• deaf culture
• disaster relief
• mental health

Notes

¹The deaf community comprises those deaf individuals who share a common sign language, common experiences, and values in Japan. The Japanese deaf community also has subcommunities and diverse communities, such as deaf lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities.

²JASWDHH was established in 2006 and the total membership was 125 members as of August 2017. The requirements for membership are the following: (a) licensed social workers, and (b) deaf social workers or sign-fluent social workers.

³JFD is a national advocate and politically independent organization founded May 25, 1947 in Japan. JFD has more than 22,000 members.